Have We Lost
by KaiFukugawa
Summary: Hayato Niigata has not returned to the Sereitei in two hundred fifty years, and when she does, it is under most dire circumstances. And as she tries to convince herself that she lost her innocence long ago, she finds one thing in her way: an idiot Strawberry who managed to find a place in her heart. No...maybe she had kept her innocence all along. Ichigo/OC
1. Return to the Sereitei! Enter Hayato!

**A/N: Ohhhh I'm so bad! XC I just couldn't help mysellllllfffff! It was sooo tempting, writing another story to help with the stress of the others... I think I need help.**

**I have Sherlockians hanging here, Bleach-peoplesthingies (do Bleach fans have a name? Huh. Food for thought.) hanging there... and it's all just- Gah! One massive migraine! So to help alleviate the stress, I've been reading some fics. And you know what that does? Inspires me to start a new goddamn story! Karmas a bitch.**

***end of huge rant***

**So, ummmm, hi again Bleachverse! Hopefully you enjoy this little fic of mine.**

**Yes, it is Ichigo/OC.**

***goes into a long boring rant about how I luuuuuurrrv OC's***

**Oh yes- do not be fooled by the OC's name. She is most definitely a girl (always has been, always will be). Even though her name is meant for a boy... ^^; genius moments with Kai...**

**Sadness... *WARNING- start of another rant* I'm also starting this story to kind of relieve some sadness/anxiousness. Currently my bestest friend ****in the whole wide world (I lurrrrrrrve you Haadiya!) is literally almost a world away (in Dubai). I've missed her so so much, and even though I knew that she'd be back for the last month of glorious summer break, I still miss her each day! So yes, that's why there's been a ginormous hiatus in all my stories thus far. I just couldn't write without her. You should know that I don't write without a reason. I don't just start a new story because I feel like it. There's always a reason to what I do. Technically everything I write is to vent. ****Each of my stories thus far have been to express emotion over something that has happened to me in my life: joy, hope, angst, grief...all of it. I always say that I need to be sad to write... which is true in a way. But with Haadiya... it's just not like that. It's like homesickness but with a person. You just miss that person so much that it feels like a hole is torn straight through your chest, but you don't feel it because of all the adrenaline. And then when you think about the littlest thing that reminds you of that person, the subconscious hurt grows a teensy bit more, until you're swallowed up by a black hole. That's when the pain sets in. I know it seems a bit melodramatic- hell I even can't believe I feel like this sometimes (me, Kai, have feelings?!)- but the thing is, I've been left so many times, it just makes me more afraid of being left behind again. So yeah, I've fallen into a bit of a depression lately. You can yell at me and bitch at me for putting a hiatus on my other stories, but to tell the truth I've already yelled at myself enough... But I'm really excited 'cause she's coming back reeeaaaally soon! Can't wait to see you again, Klaus! (inside joke XD)**

***end of humongous rant***

**Oh yes, there are two poems for this one. Well, actually one is a song called "Have We Lost" that actually inspired this story... it's a good song. Give it a listen.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except my imagination.**

**Warnings: None.**

**Oh, yes, so the genres this fall under say "Adventure&Romance". Do not be fooled. If I had a billion categories for this, it would fall into all of them. Knowing me, it'll be a mix of the two above, angst, hurt/comfort, friendship, drama, and humor.**

***wink***

**Anywayyyyy...**

**So here goes- Chapter 1 ahoy!**

* * *

_Please don't tell me any more_  
_There's a weight in your eyes_  
_And it weighs on my heart_  
_Where have the children gone_  
_We were innocent once_  
_But that was so long ago_

_Have we lost our way back home_  
_We have made mistakes I know_  
_I know_

_Don't tell me of better days_  
_There's a memory I have_  
_Could be something I read_  
_Of laughter and cheap guitars_  
_In a house full of friends_  
_Could've been one of ours_  
_We stayed up late, we loved the stars_  
_Can't remember the rest_  
_Just a few parts_

_Have we lost our way back home_  
_We have made mistakes I know_  
_I know_

_I think they lost something that they miss_  
_I wanna find that book_  
_Dust it off and read it again_  
_There was hope in the end_

_Have we lost our way back home_  
_We have made mistakes I know_  
_I know_

_We were braver still when we were young_  
_And when we were young_  
_We spoke in tongues_

_- Flyleaf "Have We Lost"_

* * *

_Pfft._

_Normal?_

_Normal is boring._

_Nothing happens in 'normal'._

_Normal is the same old thing every damned day._

_When you're like me, you realize that 'normal' isn't a luxury you get to have._

_Once you vacant lot of __**humans**__ finally realize that, the better off you'll be._

_But that's the funny thing isn't it-_

_You, you humans are so goddamn stubborn._

_Refusing to accept the truth._

_Surrounding yourselves with lies._

_Damn, I hate you._

_Every day, you attempt to go through the same routine each day- though in vain that is!_

_Never shall you differ in your ways,_

_And me in mine._

_We are the same in many ways, you and I._

_And yet, we are so, so different!_

_It's amazing isn't it?_

_How no matter what happens, to you or I..._

_No matter if we live or die,_

_The world will keep spinning._

_The seasons will keep changing._

_Until it all falls apart._

_We will fade until we are all but transparent._

_Only a distant memory._

_A nameless face._

_In the end, we are nothing._

_We don't matter._

_Just another nameless face in this small world._

_That is why._

_That is why I loathe you so, human._

_For you can continue on, pretending that once you die, you'll keep on living._

_That is the farthest thing from the truth._

**_You. Will be. Forgotten._**

_Just as I have._

_Just as we all have._

_So while you have been sitting idly_

_I have been getting stronger._

_In order to fulfill my purpose-no matter how insignificant so I can leave this place._

_What is real?_

_Am I dead?_

_Oh, but I feel so alive!_

_Is this a memory..._

_... Or a fading dream?_

_Do I wake..._

_... Or sleep?_

* * *

The by-far scariest thing about Hayato Niigata was her zanpakuto.

Oh it was unique, yes. But that wasn't the thing that made her enemies shiver in fear.

No.

It was the dark aura surrounding it.

Like a huge wolf, ripping through anything in its way, tearing all hope to pieces- just like its master.

No, don't be fooled by her.

With her friendly demeanor and nonchalant personality- she seems nice enough.

Until...-

Or so they say.

Because Hayato Niigata hasn't been seen in two and a half centuries.

Until now.

* * *

The girl seemed normal enough: standard Shinigami robes (a few sizes to big, though), pitch black hair pulled back in a pony tail...

Her lack of a zanpakuto, however, was not.

Well, at least not to the average-folk of the Sereitei, who were, to say the least, boring and mundane creatures who's yearly entertainment consisted of the occasional hollow invasion and the discovery of porn.

How pitiful.

And that was exactly what she considered them- boring mundane creatures, not worthy of her time.

As such, she deemed them useless and did her best to ignore them utterly and completely.

Her light green eyes stared straight ahead, glimmering with what might have been identifiable as eagerness.

However, once you looked closer (and few dared to do so), you could see that what was so easily mistaken as 'eagerness' was curiosity.

An emotion- the only emotion- she accepted. Curiosity. It was good to be curious. Curious is how you learned things. In a world full of riddles, the one with the answers is king. And damn, she looked good in a crown.

Broken out of her silent reverie by a not-so-silent, "who the hell...?!", she shot a withering glare toward the offender (who snapped his mouth shut). Continuing on in her journey, as the number of shinigami dwindling down until it was just her treading on the path, a puzzle began forming in her head. Nothing too hard, just a simple string of tangled thoughts. Now to untangle them without any of the strands intersecting...that was not so easy. And as she had many times before, she failed. What belonged where? Did this happen first? Or this?

Frustrated, she gave up, not expecting any solace, any _'Do not worry, master'_, from her zanpakuto. After all, their relationship was not like that.

Sighing at her predicament, she turned to focusing on her destination.

The First Division barracks.

It had been two hundred fifty years since she had seen it last.

And damn...had there always been so many stairs?!

But then again, Yama-jii always did like making things as hard as possible for the other captains...

Captains...

Her hand came up to the second of three badges secured around her upper arm, unconsciously tracing the words "Eleventh Division Captain". Slowly, her hand went down to trace the words on the second badge, identical to both the other two, sitting just above her elbow: Kidoshu Soshi. And then, to the first, and most precious, secured at her shoulder: The Protector. The one that signified her independence. Her freedom.

She wondered if anyone she knew was still alive...

Taking a deep breath to calm her sudden giddiness, she set her jaw, fists intinctually clenching. Oh well. It had to be done some time, she supposed.

Stretching her back, bones popping in a succession of quick cracks, she proceeded to hop up the stairs, one step at a time, like an inquisitive little bird. (And little she was- a few inches shorter than a certain short Kuchiki).

And once at the top, looking up at the height of the building- "Fuuuuuuck!"

Neon greens narrowed dangerously, estimating the flights of dreaded steps it would take her to get to her destination. It had taken her ten minutes to get up the ones on the _outside._ She was late as it was.

"Awww nawwwww! There is no way in hell I am climbing up a shitload of stairs again!"

And so, taking a running jump, she leapt up two stories, grabbing the ledge of a window and swinging up.

She cursed. Wrong one.

The shinigami glared up at the window three stories up, just sitting there- mocking her. And so she resolved to conquer that little window.

Her legs bent, storing the energy she would need to spring.

There was a loud "Kyahhhhhhh!" as she sprung, landing exactly on her mark, slipping, catching herself- only to realize that the window was closed.

The god damn window.

The god damn-

Allowing her carefully crafted guise to slip for just a second and muttering a few incantations under her breath, she placed her hand to the window which promptly shattered.

Nimbly stepping over the glass, she flounced in with a breezy, "Don't worry. I'll pay for it."

Meeting the eyes of the startled Captains.

"Good to see you again, Soutaicho," was murmured, the speaker never taking her eyes off of the thirteen shinigami in front of her.

Wary. Calculating. And then-

"Is that really you Little HayaNii?"

A smile.

"Yeah, it's really me Ku-etchi."

A pouty face appeared on the pony-tailed Taichou. "HayaNiiiiii! You're so mean~!"

"Hey, hey, I'm not procrastinating, I'm delegating...myself to do my best at reciprocating your childish antics."

A white-haired man, well known to her from years prior, laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's good to see you, my friend! Where have you been the past few years?"

She laughed. "Ju-kun! It has been far too long!"

A voice, cold as ice, cut her off. "Soutaicho, with all due respect, who is this woman?"

Her eyes flickered to the little taicho, only inches taller than her, with tousled white hair. She blinked, all childish innocence. The Thirteenth Division taicho heaved a sigh, knowing all too well that his younger friend was about to stir up trouble.

"Who me? Well, I'm-"

"I do not believe I gave you permission to speak."

First mistake.

A catlike grin stretched across her face.

"Forgive me, _taicho_," she drawled voice dripping with sarcasm.

Suddenly she spun around as if looking at something. "Oh look. A Flying Fuck. It escaped before I could give it."

Anger flashed through teal eyes.

"Do you know I am, _girl_?"

"No. Do you know who _I_ am?"

Momentary confusion.

"Good. Then we're on the same page."

The fury returned, and the white-haired taicho turned to Yamamoto.

A frustrated silence as the boy tried to control his temper.

"Soutaicho, what is this ignorant _child_ doing here?"

A sudden burst of reiatsu interrupted him, so strong that the air literally crackled with electricity.

He stiffened, then slowly turned around to see a smug looking Hayato grinning at him.

"What was that now? Oh, yes, well who am I? Let's see... I dunno. Hmm, how odd."

The Soutaicho's eyes faintly glimmered with amusement. He knew that many of the shinigami there would not recognize the woman in front of them. It had, after all, been almost three hundred years.

"This _child_, Hitsugaya, is Hayato Niigata, former taicho of the Eleventh Division, former Kidoshu Soshi, and current...Protector."

The young captain visibly blanched.

"Protector?" he asked a bit shakily, when he regained his composure.

"The only one in the world. I invented the job. It's kind of something that requires a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none kind of person...like me."

The younger shinigami faced her. "I see... Please forgive my actions before, Hayato-san. It was childish of me."

"Nonsense. You had every right to be suspicious, Hitsugaya-san. The incident has already fled my mind," she replied with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

A silence.

And then, "Hayato Niigata...you are aware of why your presence was demanded here."

It wasn't a question.

She answered anyway.

"Yes. The Hell Butterfly you sent spoke of a ryoka invasion, correct?"

"Yes."

"And I am to help with them, correct?"

"Correct."

Hayato rubbed the back of her head, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"I have been away two hundred fifty years," she said slowly. "Many things have changed..."

"And we shall help to fill you in as much as we can, Hayato-san."

"Thank you, Aizen-san. I see that the years have treated you nicely."

"Yes, and you."

A weak smile was cast towards the man who returned it softly, if not a bit shyly.

Attention was demanded at the front, and the captains turned towards Yamamoto, occasionally casting her a curious glance. Only a handful of faces could she recognize. All the others were foreign.

For the rest of the meeting, she stood awkwardly off to the side, zoning out (and most likely paying bitterly for the many sleepless nights) and catching the words "...spread word of her arrival..." and "...will stay with her brother...".

The meeting unceremoniously came to an end, captains dispersing until it was only her left.

Heaving a sigh, she picked up one foot.

There was a nearly inaudible _swoosh._

The next time she put it down was in the Second Division barracks.

* * *

My room was just the same as it had been the last time I stayed there, nearly two and a half centuries ago.

Not a thing had been touched, and as I closed the door behind me, the fact made me both happy and sad.

It was a simple room really. Just a few of my items, a bed next to the wall near the door. A nightstand, a closet, bathroom, and a small kitchen. A futon.

And of course a mini grand piano.

I dusted it off lovingly, thinking of all the times when the instrument had been my only friend.

Crossing the room, running a hand through my hair, as I began to gather about the supplies I would need the next few days, I caught sight of myself in the full length mirror sitting on the wall perpendicular to the futon.

The woman staring back at me was almost unrecognizable- no wonder the young taicho was suspicious of me!

It was obvious that she hadn't taken a bath in a good while. Her short, shoulder-length hair was wild and greasy, normally light olive skin was ghostly pale (even more so than usual). She was thin but not gangly- at the same time she wasn't too muscular, but lithe and agile-looking like a gymnast. Her shinigami robes were too big and hung from her small frame like a large sheet. Dirt splotched her hands, and there were a few small, bloody cuts on her cheeks. In the near-translucent area under her eyes were light purple bags, from the many sleepless nights. Big bright green eyes blinked owlishly as she stared back at me.

She looked wild and untamed.

And usually, this would be fine with me. But suddenly, I felt a strong- and irrational- urge to clean up, to get back into a uniform- _my _uniform, not those awful robes that were the norm here; not the robes that I hated- to get back to being _me_. To being the person I had been before.

Who knows? Maybe this, being here, would be good for me. Maybe I would change.

And so, shedding my robes, I walked toward the bathroom, and ran a bath.

A sigh escaped me as I slid into the hot water and began scrubbing my body clean.

My fingers slid through my hair, gently massaging shampoo into it. I grabbed a large pitcher, filled it with water, and dumped it over my head, repeating the action until the water running from my hair was clear. Wash, rinse, repeat. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I then began on the cuts on my face, washing the blood off, and, in the process, scrubbing the dirt of my hands.

I dunked my head underwater, just because I felt like it, and resurfaced shaking the now luke-warm liquid off of my black hair.

Scrubbing until my porcelain skin was spotless, I began slowly relaxing, focusing completely on the task at hand.

When I was satisfied, I rinsed off, drained the tub, and dried myself off.

Padding outside, I looked at my naked form in the mirror, not noticing a huge change. The same wild, untamed woman was still there, just hidden a bit more.

And for a second I dared to look deeper-

To look at my scars.

Scars of all shapes and sizes, many faded and barely visible from age.

My hands traced a faint, nearly invisible line at my throat from when I was a young girl in early Egypt, sacrificed to the gods.

Then, another near invisible scar at my stomach, where an Athenian officer stabbed me in the stomach as a threat to my small city-state during the Peloponnesian War.

In my next tragically short lifetime, I was a girl in Pompei, left behind to face the wrath of a volcano when my parents pushed me off of the boat to safety. After all, I would only slow them down.

Next, I was a Greco-Egyptian, forced by Queen Cleopatra herself to act as her and commit suicide while she went on living her life. Yeah, that famous girl who killed herself with the snake? That was me. The faint bitemark of the serpent is forever etched in my upper left arm.

Then I was a Christian in Rome, martyred for my beliefs, nailed to a cross by my wrists whilst someone sliced the arteries in my legs, leaving me to bleed out.

During the last (and final) fall of Rome, I was whipped to death and then burned in an uprising as a public message.

After that, I was reborn as a Turkish girl, used as a human shield by my mother, and shot by a Mongolian arrow in the back. It punctured my right lung.

I was born again as a Mongol (ironic, huh?) and was stabbed in the heart by an enemy tribe.

Next, I was born to a nameless tribe, left to die as a newborn. I was mauled by a wolverine; I still have the barely visible, jagged scar on my side.

Afterwards, I was a Vietnamese freedom fighter, one of the Trung Sisters, martyred by slashed back.

Then an empress in feudal Japan, whose neck was snapped by an assassin.

In Spain, I was hung for, you guessed it, my beliefs.

I was poisoned in the Andes, murdered by the Spanish to prove a point during my time with a Native American tribe, and was drowned by a tribemate when I was with the Inuits.

That last era was the most influential on me. My master taught me much about myself and the Spirit World. Actually, during my time with the Inuits, they caught the guy (who was convinced I was a demon) in the act of killing me. By the time they got there, though, it was too late. I was dying when they got me out of the water. I still remember...

_I struggled to open my eyes as the oh-so-familiar darkness threatened to overcome me. I met my teacher- Alignak's_**(1)**_- eyes and opened my mouth to speak, but all that came out was a watery gurgle._

_Don't worry, I tried to say. I'm not afraid. Not that much any more. After all, I'm used to this. So don't be too sad. After all, I'll come back again. I'm not afraid._

_His chocolate brown eyes were so sad._

_I felt the tears filling my eyes. I didn't want to leave him. He made me feel safe. He made me feel whole._

_All the color began to slowly fade from my world. All except his. His beautiful, vibrant color._

_The tears froze on my cheeks._

_And in that moment, everything was perfect. Yes, that moment, when I was in his arms...it was perfect. But everything, even perfection, has to end eventually._

_I felt my consciousness slipping as my world began to fade to black._

_And I felt something wet on my face. His tears. Alignak's tears. Our leader- my leader- was crying. Over me. Who was I to deserve this? After all, I was just a girl._

_I remembered the first time we met. Him destined to be the tribe leader, me destined to be just a girl. But he changed that. He saw the abuse I took and offered me a place in his heart. He was only two years older than me, and yet he was my idol. He was like me. An old soul, amongst a world of infant spirits._

_I guess he was the first- and only- man I have ever loved._

_I wanted so much to stay awake, to comfort him. To tell him not to cry. To not be sad. Do not be sad over me..._

_But the darkness was coming faster. The pain was long gone- now in its place was warmth. Such gentle warmth._

_But I knew that after the warmth would come numbness and the lethargy that comes with sleeping for a long time._

_The murky black shrouded me with its gentle caress, warm and dark and beautiful, surrounding me on all sides._

_I gave in; fighting was too tiring._

_Sudden panick overcame me; I couldn't see him anymore._

_I cast out for him, wanting to see him one more time. One last time._

_I wanted his face to be the last thing I saw._

_But I couldn't make me eyes open._

_I tired...so, so tired... Surely...he would understand._

_Of course he would. He always did._

_And so as the life faded from my little body, he held me and whispered one final thing before they sank me in the ocean, dull green eyes still half-open._

_"Sleep well, Pitsiark Hayato_**(2)**_."_

_They were the last words he ever spoke to me. _

I shook myself out of my memories. It was no use to cry over the past. After all, Alignak was long gone by now.

The list continued on after that though. Quite sad that even though that was by far my happiest life, I couldn't bring myself to move on after that. There was still something I needed in that world.

I was reborn in Africa, thought to be an angel goddess because of my pale skin, and sacrificed to the gods. Yet again, I bled out, skewered by a stake.

After that, I found myself in India. This time I _wasn't_ killed because of my white skin (contrary to the popular belief that Indians were brown-skinned, many were fair-skinned. Though I did have to wear a red dot on my forehead...), but for entertainment. And what better way to do that than snap a thirteen year old girl's neck?

Afterwards, I was an inhabitant on an island state that was not yet known as Hawaii. During an eruption, I was thrown into a volcano in hopes to satisfy the gods and prevent the mass-death. Needless to say that we all died, but I still didn't appreciate that too much.

Then I was French- wasn't that an interesting lifetime! Sadly, the Church (gee thanks guys. I thought I was a good Christian, but, whatever) was absolutely convinced that I was a witch and had me publicly beaten to death. I died of internal bleeding.

And then, my last life. I was born in 1672 in Jamestown to a family with many brothers and sisters. And I died...

By disease. The same one that killed my brother, Hayate. What a mundane way to die after all the excitement of my old lives! But...

It was what I wanted all along. I wanted a normal death. I didn't want there to be anything special about the way I died.

Every time before, someone had killed me for their own purposes. Someone had decided when I got to die.

I didn't want anyone to play God with my life.

And so, with scars on my arms from the illness, I could finally pass on.

But just because I was able to pass on in that life, don't think that it was happy. Or good. Because I can assure, you, it was neither of those things. No, not at all.

I was openly scorned among them. Only my Hayate, my big brother who was twelve years older than me, actually acted like I was family not a disease. But he died when I was three.

I was never allowed to go out or play.

I died at age seven.

When I got to the Soul Society, I wandered around the Seventy-eighth District of Rukongai. It was only a month until I found my brother.

He looked exactly the same as he had when I'd last seen him: he looked about nineteen, with shaggy brown hair that fell a bit over his emerald-colored eyes. He was quite tall, but muscular. The only thing that had changed was that the tips of his hair were blood red.

I had gone up to him, insisting that he was my brother, and that we knew each other from when we were alive. It took a while to convince him, but eventually, I did it.

And now... I was here.

There were two things that I regretted about my living lives.

The first was not being able to properly say goodbye to Alignak.

The second was the idea of purpose. I would always tell myself that I had none. That I was just the girl who always got killed.

That is why I live life like I do.

I was wrong.

So, so wrong.

I had a purpose, no matter how small.

That was why I did my best to surpass others in this afterlife. To make a purpose. To help.

To be remembered.

It's foolish though.

Eventually we all fade.

It's quite sad. In all my lives, I never lived past fifteen. In only one life, was I able to reach fifteen and that was during my time with the Inuits.

Wrenching myself out of my memories, I rummaged through my closet until I found one of my old uniforms.

I hurriedly wrapped my torso before taking the shirt off the hanger.

Sliding it over my shoulders, I cherished the feeling of the soft, familiar black silk on my skin. Rolling up my sleeve, I slid on both of my arm guards, and then a pair of leather fingerless gloves. Yanking on my pants, I decided to forgo shoes. Socks and sandals. Whatever.

Stopping in front of the mirror yet again, I felt a sudden rush of déjà vu.

I had standard shinigami robes minus the fact that my left arm was completely sleeveless, exposing the metal armguard that went from my hand to my shoulder like a long fingerless tekkou. The guard on my other arm was completely covered by the sleeve, leaving only my hand visible. I wore leather fingerless gloves on each hand, with a metal stud on each knuckle. And believe me, it hurt like hell when you got punched with one.

It brought back so many memories. I could almost see myself with long, waist-length hair, two long strands pulled back from my face into a bun.

I had a sudden and irrational urge to let myself slip for just a moment- just to stretch out.

Before I could process what I was doing, I felt black cat ears flick forward, tail swish around behind me.

A content sigh escaped my lips. It had been so long since I had stretched out my cat parts. Two hundred fifty years to be exact. And to put it lightly, the fresh air around them was suiting me nicely.

Yes, many people compared me to a cat, but I bet none of them knew how right they were.

I was what humans could call a Neko.

Or a Nekojin if you want to be specific.

These ears and tail are probably why I was accused of being a demon so much when I was alive (sometimes I doubted my saintliness too, don't worry). In every life I was the same. I had a different name each time, mind you, but I knew who I really was. I was Hayato Niigata.

I jumped when there was a loud knock on the door and a hesitant, "Haya?"

I sighed, but this time in reluctance. I guessed I could put up with my brother's antics just this once.

So when I was crushed in a giant bear-hug, I didn't try to escape, just hugged him back. After all, I had been gone nearly three centuries. Anyone would be worried after that long.

"You worried me so much," Hayate murmured into my hair, not caring about my ears.

I breathed in his scent. That was why I loved Hayate. He didn't care about whether I was part cat or not. (Though when we first met, it did creep him out...)

I was his sister. That was all that mattered.

My brother's name was Hayate Niigata. He was the fourth seat of the Second Division. And to me, he was one of the strongest soul reapers out there. As the fourth seat, his line of work was virtually unknown.

The Captain had the Executive Militia, the second-in-command had Patrol Corps, third seat had the Detention Unit... fifth had Inner Court Troop.

But no one knew what the fourth seat did. Perhaps because knowing would get you killed (unless you happen to be the fourth seat's brother...).

What my brother did was particularly gruesome.

Yes, the Executive Militia was orderly and elusive, the Patrol Corps was endearing and watchful, the Detention Unit was physically strong, and the Inner Court Troop was fast, but to me, my brother was stronger than all of them.

He had mental strength. He was cunning and yet fine-tuned with people's emotions. Unlike me, where I could murder a puppy in cold blood.

He was the head of the Interrogation Unit.

But it wasn't as simple as it sounded.

Yes, he interrogated criminals.

But another name given to his Unit, a nickname really, was the "Janus" Unit.

Janus- the god with the two faces.

There was an underlying message in the name.

The full name of his work was Torture and Interrogation.

But that just didn't have the same ring to it, now did it?

He didn't do much interrogation. That was actually someone else's job. It was their job to torture the ones who were stubborn. To get them to talk.

My brother knew just how far you had to push someone to get them to break. He knew how far you could push someone without killing them.

He knew what would break them.

I truly had no heart for torture, but I would resort to it if needed.

My brother taught me most of what I know.

"Sorry for leaving that long. Two and a half centuries isn't really that long for someone like me," I said lamely.

We both knew what I meant.

I felt him grin into my hair.

"It's good to be back though."

Suddenly he pulled back. "Hayato. Do you know why you're here?"

"To help with the ryoka problem, yes?"

"No."

"No?"

"No." He sighed. "He didn't tell you did he?"

I stiffened, worried at how serious Hayate became. "Tell me what, Hayate?"

My brother gave me a sad look, pity in his eyes.

"Hayato, the real reason you're here...is to attend Rukia Kuchiki's execution."

* * *

**(1)- Inuit name meaning "Moon God"**

**(2)- Translation: Beautiful Hayato**

**A/N: Well, that didn't go as well as I planned. I think it went a bit too fast... XD I actually deleted a lot because it would've been information overload. Next chapter's a bit of a flashback! God I hate myself for doing this...**

**Oh yeah! This is a Neko fic! I'm sorry if you all don't like that... It just fit with the story! Plus I've always wanted to start a Neko fic!**

**Oh yes, so some info on the name. So I wanted both brother and sister to have names starting with "H" and have a last name starting with "N".**

**Hayate was easy. I kind of imagine him as one of those people who fits into society really easier, who's a joker and an overachiever and a bit of a womanizer. So the name "Hayate" (meaning "smooth") was easy.**

**But then there was Hayato. All of the names I thought of were just too...not her (too girly, too happy, too cliché, I've seen that name in about 400 fics I mean seriously?). I imagine Hayato as this modest, a tad bit shy person who finds it hard to fit in deep down. But on the flip side, she's extremely powerful and cocky and loves to fight. However she hates her power and wishes she could use it to heal, and therefore doesn't brag like most other shinigami. So slight tomboy with a bit of punk misunderstood girl mixed in: check. Girly girl who has huge boobs and an ass-load of makeup: nooooo. So something powerful and beautiful and agile: Hayato. The name just suits her, even if it is meant for a guy. Hayato- falcon. It's perfect. I love it.**

**And their last name, Niigata sounded good with it so... XD**

**And also, her being a Neko suits her so if you want to complain, go ahead, but I ain't changing it. (Plus I've always been known for putting an odd spin on all my stories... ^^;)**

**Loved it? Hated it? So-so?**

**See you next time! (Hopefully I'll update faster than I have with my other stories!)**

**~ KAi**

**(yes it is "Kai" but I think it looks cooler this way don't you? W)**


	2. Remembering Fragments of Yesterday

**A/N: Woahhhhh! New chappy! So, like I said this one's gonna be a flashback to give you more info on Haya's captainship and how she knows Rukia and Renji. REMEMBER: In all technicality, Hayato is about 334 years old. So don't expect Rukia and Renji to be Shinigamis just yet! Also, when people call Hayato 'HayaNii' it isn't the same way that Yuzu and Karin call Ichigo 'Ichi-nii'. 'Haya' is the first part of her first name and 'Nii' is the first part of her last name. So it's a pet name... And as for Kyor-etchi, well, I couldn't help myself XD.**

**Um, so Haya's uniform is the same as the first chapter (the one with the missing sleeve and armguards...and no shoes.)**

**Thank you Chewbrok and SkyLion27 for the follows!**

**Oh yes so to avoid some confusion this is basically a timeline of the major events in Hayato's life. Based upon the years she was in the Soul Society. I will eventually cover the whole 'she went to the Academy etc.' thing but you won't know the exact time so... yeah.**

**4****th**** year- enrolled in Shinigami Academy (her brother enrolled her third year in the Soul Society (whatever, they bonded very quickly. It helps that they knew each other before they died!) and a year after she decided, ah what the hell and sent in her application...or something. Her brother graduated just before she actually got in though...)**

**5****th**** year- got in to the Shinigami Academy**

**6****th**** year- graduated, got a spot as an UN-seated shinigami-soul-reaper-person-thingie in 11****th**** Division**

**11****th**** year- became Fukutaicho of the 11****th**** Division**

**24****th**** year- became Taicho of the 11****th**** Division**

**54****th**** year- left to become part of the Kido Corps**

**69****th**** year- became Kidoshu Soshi**

**83****th**** year- Abandoned the Sereitei for unknown reasons. Adopted the title of "The Protector"**

**So for roughly 251 years she has been the Protector. Her position WILL be explained more later on, just wait.**

**For the sake of the story we're gonna say that Rukia is only a few years younger than Hayato (who looks about twelve, thirteenish at this point time). (Rukia looks like a nine year old still though). I have no idea how that works...**

**Oh so yeah, I went to a waterpark today and now I'm all sunburnt! D:**

**Oh yes and so for the fight scene in Rukongai at night I would recommend listening to the song Storm Center on the Bleach soundtrack.**

**OH RIGHT THIS IS IMPORTANT! So since Hayato's Captain isn't gonna be described much 'cause I'm lazy (nor is he gonna have a name. Though I will let it slip that he is a Kenpachi)so here's his description here: ya know Kenpachi Zaraki when Ikkaku first came into the 11th Division? How he had his hair down and no eyepatch (but still had the wierd scar thingie?) Yeah, think that when you read about him. Except make him not likeable at all and a total ass.**

**Ooh ooh ooh! Big news! So my school had a poetry contest that everyone had to enter and the contest was with people from all over the country and stuff and they haven't done the judging yet but apparently my poem was chosen to be in a book so yep ranty goodness mewow pie yes I meant mewow. MEWOW!**

* * *

_If you listen closely,_

_You can hear your voice on the wind_

* * *

**Sereitei, 323 years ago**

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she raced to beat the clock.

_Gonna be late again! Taicho's gonna kill me!_ she thought.

Her name was Hayato Niigata. And she was an average Soul Reaper. Two strands of her long black hair were pulled back to make a bun, leaving the rest hanging freely. Her porcelain skin was slightly flushed from running. Yup. Preeeeetty normal alright. The only thing that differed about her was the secret that she and her brother so dutifully kept.

...

Okay... Make that two secrets.

One- she was a cat. Or at least _part_ cat.

Two- she had lived over...and over...and over again.

Of course that was no one's business in the first place, but it was human nature to be nosy. To want to get into people's business. Claiming that it was _"to help them emotionally"_.

She scoffed slightly. Emotions- they were curious little things. Curiosity was good...that didn't change the fact that she hated them. Emotions that is.

Sure, she _felt_. She loved her brother, she smiled when she was happy. But that was hardwired into her brain. She would stand up for people weaker than her, but she never did it out of _emotion_.

She hated emotions. She just couldn't understand them- how could you tell what was what?

_Why _did emotions make you feel a certain way?

_Why_ did certain things make you have a certain feeling?

It was difficult for her to understand how people could _feel _so much. She always had been a bit of a sociopath.

Of course that wasn't all true- she did have feelings, and she did express them. She just hated them. They were something she couldn't understand and she hated that.

But instead of fighting a battle she couldn't win (you can't get answers from something that can't talk), she just went with it.

Muttering a curse under her breath, she urged herself to go a bit faster.

If the goddamn streets cleared up she wouldn't have this problem! She could use shunpo and be at the barracks in seconds.

But noooo it had to be busy.

And so, pushing herself the last few yards to the Eleventh Division, she set her jaw, determined to deal with any punishment she might get.

Though when she continued through the barracks and there was none, she stopped in confusion.

And remembered-

Their Fukutaicho, who had done all the scolding (truth be told, he ultimately did _all_ the asswhoopery in her Division), was dead.

He had been cruel and hearltess, almost like their Taicho. He was mean to everyone and stepped on people. He fought to see the fear in his enemy's eyes.

But in her eyes, no one deserved the kind of death he had.

Hollow's stab wound to the heart.

Not a pretty way to die (though the other members of her Division did hunt it down and make it pay...)

_Nasty things, those Hollows_, she thought to herself, trying to quell the ache in her chest.

Trying to discourage herself.

She wanted so badly to be on the field fighting Hollows. It had been so long since she had felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. And though she knew she was lucky to get as far as she had in so little time, she wanted more.

More was what she wanted, yes.

Just a little boost, a small fight, if only for a little while.

She sighed, snapping back into reality.

That would have to wait. Right now, she had chores to do.

* * *

The full moon bathed the run down-shacks of Inuzuri, the seventy-eighth District of Rukongai.

There was barely a sound except for the quiet humming echoing eerily down the gravelly street.

Hayato walked between the houses with the ease of familiarity. It was very often (once a week at least) that she would stop by here at night and take a walk. It was so peaceful at night; at times like that, she didn't understand what the other shinigami had against the place.

It was ironic that the second the thought crossed her mind, she heard the sound of fighting.

Scratch that- nothing was ever peaceful.

Heaving a sigh, she flashed over to the source of the sound, not really wanting to break up a bunch of drunken hooligans.

But as soon as she arrived on scene, she felt all her reluctance to break anything up fly out the window.

Because three grown shinigami were beating up two small children, who couldn't be more than nine.

The boy was standing in front of the little girl, red hair pulled up in a ponytail. The girl's large purple eyes stared at the men in what could only be rare fear.

Fury bubbled up inside of her. She had always had a soft spot for kids- perhaps because of all the abuse she had suffered as one.

Just as the first man was going in for a left hook, a hand grabbed his fist.

"Now what makes you think that you can go around pickin' fights with kids?"

Him and his friends sneered.

"What'dya think you're doing, weakling? This is no place for a shrimp like you."

_Eleventh Division Third, Fourth, and Fifth seats. Not much of a fair fight, but then again I've got some tricks up my sleeve..._

A smirk graced her lips and she flew forward, barreling into the Fourth seat, knocking him onto his back.

The back of her hand made contact with his jaw.

The other two had mere seconds to react before there was an angry "Why you...!"

Both rushed her, coming from different sides. She clucked her tongue.

"Now that isn't very fair, is it boys..?"

She was on the roof and then, she was everywhere.

A punch to the gut and the Third seat was on his knees receiving a right hook to his jaw.

That only left one more, and by then he was trembling with fear.

She stalked towards him.

"...Boo!"

He cried out in surprise as she swept his feet out from underneath him, silencing his pleas for help with a roundhouse kick to the face.

_Fifth seat down_, she noted.

_Behind you._

She spun around, punching her attacker square in the nose, knocking him unconscious, thanking the Lord for her heightened senses.

And as soon as the fight started, it was over.

She turned towards the two kids who were looking at her with a mixture of wariness and curiosity.

"You good?" she asked.

The boy nodded once.

"Thank you for saving us," the little girl murmured.

"No problem. These three jokers shouldn't have been doing that. Even so, I'll probably end up getting my ass whooped tomorrow. It was worth getting to beat them up a bit though..."

The boy's face split into a small grin at her words. Suddenly the untouchable shinigmai didn't seem so untouchable.

"Thanks again. I'm Renji, and this is Rukia."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Renji-kun, Rukia-chan. I'd better be off; Taicho's gonna have my hide if I get back at midnight again."

As she turned to walk away, Rukia spoke up.

"Will we ever see you again?"

It was a simple question, asked out of what seemed to be obligation. Nevertheless, it surprised her.

_Ah Hayato, you stupid girl. It seems you've gone and gotten them attached to you. What can you expect though? They're just kids; they've probably never had anyone to take care of them..._

A smile escaped the black-haired Soul Reaper. "Most definitely."

"...You never told us your name."

She didn't look back this time, just waved her hand in the air nonchalantly.

"It's Hayato. Hayato Niigata. See ya."

The mysterious girl faded into the familiar shadows that, once more, colored her world.

Darkling they listened, and, for many a time, counted the empty footsteps leading the way into a whole new world. One they knew nothing of.

One that beckoned them with the scent of adventure on the wind. A world that was simply grey to them, but, in time, would become painted by color and light.

Adieu!

Adieu! The anthem of footfalls they had listened to for so long faded, leaving the two to wonder if the shadowy woman named Hayato Niigata ever truly existed.

For the moment, the enigma of a world that had graced their senses for a mere second disappeared, like mist in the morning air. And thus, they shook it off as a chance meeting in a world full of cards. And continued on their way.

Unbeknownst to them, someone had been watching the whole thing.

After all, there was no such thing as chance in a card game.

* * *

_"Hayato Niigata, please report to the Captain's Quarters."_

She flicked the Hell Butterfly off of her finger with a heavy sigh.

There was a snicker to her left, and her eyes met the Third seat's. No doubt he had tattled, hoping to get in the Captain's good graces and get promoted into the empty second seat.

She grinned cheekily and gave him the bird.

Without another glance at him, she stalked of to her Taicho's office, opening the door brashly. With the empty seat, it was all out war in the barracks; a war that she would rather not get involved in. Couldn't the world just let her get a good night's sleep for once?

Finally noticing the man sitting in front of her, she coughed a barely subtle "fuck you", and took a seat.

She didn't bother to be polite to this man; a warthog had better manners than him.

She had more respect for a sea slug than she did for the gruesome creature.

If one could even call him _that_.

His eyes lit up ever so slightly and a smirk appeared on his face.

"Hello, Hayato," he purred, the sound not at all matching his voice.

It sounded possessive. Persuasive, even.

She nodded curtly. "Taicho."

The smirk grew.

"How odd that I would call an unseated officer into my office, ne Birdie-chan?"

_So that's how he wants to play it._

"With all due respect, _taicho_, I will have to ask you to refrain from using such familiarity with me."

She blinked, all innocence.

"Ah. My apologies Niigata-san...it's just, you got so _friendly_ with those two kids last night! To think that a complete unknown was able to take out three of my best officers? It looks like we all underestimated you, Niigata-san."

She remained silent.

"How odd...how odd indeed. Tell me, how did you do it?"

"T'was a matter of simple hand-to-hand and outsmarting them."

"Amazing! And think of what you could do armed..."

"Well technically, I was armed."

"Oh?" Amusement lit his features. "And how would that be, my dear Niigata-san?"

"Isn't it obvious, Taicho?"

"Enlighten me."

"Weeeeeell since you asked nicely. You see, I happen to have these dangly things connected to my shoulders called 'arms'. These are the weapons I used to slay thy foul beasts. So technically, I was, indeed, armed. I made a joke. It's funny, see? Ha ha ha."

All this was said in the most deadpan tone she could muster. Annoyance sparked in her Captain's eyes.

"Dearest Hayato, I meant with your _sword_ of course."

"Oh, silly me. Of course. And Captain..."

"Yes?"

"It's Niigata-san."

"Of course. My apologies."

Black eyes sparkled.

"Now. On to business. Are you aware of what you were called here for, Niigata-san?"

Neon greens narrowed in response. Just what was he up to?

"No," she answered bluntly.

Kenpachi sighed.

"Hayato, in this Division, there are two main needs: power and strength. As you probably know, in this Division there is very little friendship. We despise weakness and those weaker than ourselves. they are scum, not worthy of being Shinigami. If it were I as Soutaicho, I would have them publicly executed so as not to hinder the rest of us. That way maybe people would _learn_. The Eleventh Division only chooses the strongest to be members. It seems we were right in choosing you. Taking down three seated officers without a weapon is quite the accomplishment. However, then there is the problem of our fukutaicho. He was an arrogant man, too cocky for his own good. It was good that he died. I have been thinking very long as to who will replace him, but after seeing your little performance last night, it's obvious that none of those jokers can handle it. You however, are quite interesting. A feisty little thing, too. They are the traits that I would like the Division to be known for: powerful, a bit feisty, yes, but most of all- feared. And you, Hayato Niigata, are the perfect representation of all those. Not feared perhaps, no, you have to keep that inside. That'll be a little surprise for the other Divisions, eh?"

Green eyes widened a bit as his words sunk in.

A smile spread across the Kenpachi's face.

"Welcome to jungle, Hayato Niigata. I hope you enjoy your stay. May it be soaked in the blood of the losers."

* * *

"Presenting to you, Hayato Niigata, the Eleventh Division's new fukutaicho."

There was a roar of disagreement.

"What the fu-"

"Why her?!"

"-not even a seated officer!"

"This is so unfair!"

My eyes flitted across the crowd -hopefully- revealing no emotion.

In truth, this was all a bit too much. Hell I had went from getting my ass whooped to being promoted to _fukutaicho?!_

Yep, this was one hell of a hangover.

But I couldn't remember drinking...

... Then it must be real...

Shit!

Trying to not meet the enraged eyes of my squad-mates, I focused on the door, trying to figure out how fast I could flash out of there and go to my room to sleep.

The badge on my shoulder was alien to me.

I fidgeted nervously.

At the end of the whole ordeal, my Taicho gave me a pat on the back that almost sent me flying into the pit of angry hellions. There were a few snickers among the crowd which I silenced with a hard stare.

"That is all. You may continue in your duties."

The crowd dispersed, most of them- who am I kidding- all of them giving me nasty glares.

The Captain gave me another pat on the back (this one sent me flying into the wall).

"Well Birdie-chan, you have full permission to use the rest of the day as you please!"

I sighed. There was no use in correcting him; I could tell that no matter how many times I told him, I was going to be forever known as Birdie-chan.

"So I could visit my brother then?"

"Brother? You mean-"

"Yes."

"Go ahead. If you get in trouble, it's on your head though."

A curt nod and I was gone.

* * *

I walked up to the guards who nodded at once and let me in. It was very different from the first time I came to visit, when I was tackled to the ground in a huge dogpile.

Ah, those were the days.

_Knock, knock, knock._

The wood was familiar underneath my hand. I had stayed there many times, more than I had slept in my own barracks actually.

A little cream-coffee colored cat came up and rubbed against my leg. I knelt down and stroked it's fur.

"Hey little kitty. Hey little one, what are you doing here? Where's your home?"

The door opened and the cat ran off with a screech.

"Another stray? God Haya, you attract these things like catnip."

I snorted. Hayate always was more of a dog person. "Nice to see you too brother dear."

Emeralds lit up a bit. "Always a charmer, Hayato. What is it this time? Dogs chasing you? Got stuck in a tree? Need someone to give you some money for catnip-"

"I just came to say hi."

"Oh. Hi. Well if that's all, then you can leave. I'm a bit busy here."

He motioned towards his open bedroom, where a (most likely naked) woman was lying in his bed, covering herself with his sheets, and watching us.

I felt my cheeks heat up a bit. Well, at least that explained why he had no shirt on.

"Don't be alarmed. It's just sex."

"I wasn't alarmed!"

"Then what's with the face!"

"Face this!" I shouted whacking him upside the head.

"Damn... your punches hurt as much as always. Soo..."

"So?"

"Byyyye."

"M'kay. Bye then~!" I called over my shoulder, flashing him my new badge.

I smirked, waiting for his reaction.

I heard the rapid footsteps behind me, and suddenly I was in the air being spun around.

Overjoyed laughter reached my ears.

"I knew you could do it! I KNEW IT! MY LITTLE SISTER'S THE FUKUTAICHO OF THE ELEVENTH DIVISION!"

Hayate spun me faster, and I giggled and let out a tiny scream of joy (and terror considering that I felt like I was about to go flying into a wall).

He put me down and turned to his bedroom, addressing the woman.

"Hey, hey you. Out."

Turning back to me, he grinned.

"I knew you could do it. Oh my little TakaNeko... I'm so, so proud of you."

My grin widened. "I know!"

And then a frown began to appear on my face. "It's just..."

Hayate's emerald eyes became worried. "It's just what?"

"I just... I wish he was here to see me," I whispered.

"Oh, Hayato. I'm sure he would be so proud of you right now. I would be happy to have you as my best friend either way. Hey honey, look at me. It's okay. Because I'm sure if Alignak knew, he would be the happiest man in the world. He would pick you up and spin you around and... and... He would love you just like I do."

With that, gave me a kiss on the cheek, his short stubble tickling me.

I laughed. "Get in there and shave, baka! We can always celebrate later!"

"You sure? 'Cause this'll only come once and-"

"Dobe! I'm sure! How about this- Friday. You, me. Drinks. On me."

"I don't have any problems with that."

I winked. "M'kay then! See ya later!"

"Leaving so soon?"

"Hardly. I just have a feeling that I have a little surprise waiting for me at the barracks."

"Oohhhhh! Well I'll tell the others to sleep with their earmuffs on!"

I blushed dark red. "H-hentai!"

He laughed.

I sighed. "See ya later then!"

"See ya later Miss Fukutaicho Ma'am!"

I laughed.

* * *

And that was the start of the First Great Prank War.

Yeaaahhhhhhh...

Long story short, a few people in my Division decided to let loose a bunch of poisonous snakes in my room, I blew up their part of the barracks. They took a bunch of cat shit and put it outside my window, and I... well I was still sitting there thinking about what to do to get them back when Kenpachi burst into my room and told me that I was going to a festival in a day to meet all the other captains.

"NANI?!"

He stuck his pinkie in his ear. "You don't need to be so loud."

An irk mark appeared on my head.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me last minute?!"

"..."

"I may have put blue hair dye in your shampoo."

"NANI?!"

* * *

"Beautiful," I breathed, looking at the lanterns.

Fires flickered faintly.

It looked everything like a Japanese festival was supposed to.

I felt the heat from the flames radiate off my metal armguards.

"Birdie-chan."

"Eh?"

"C'mon. You can't be blasting off into space when you meet the other captains."

"Right."

"You ready?"

"Tch. Is that a real question?"

That earned me a smile.

_Here goes._

There in the middle of it all, bathed with the firelight, was a half circle of people wearing white robes of their uniforms.

The Captains.

But... there were people with them.

They had badges secured to their arms...

Like me.

"Hayato, meet the Captains."

I did the only thing I could.

"Uhhh...hi?"

_"My name is Rukia Kuchiki! Nice to meet you!"_

My eyes narrowed a bit.

_"Rukia, come on let's go!"_

What the hell... where was this voice coming from?!

_"Rukia, Renji, I brought candy!"_

That was when my eyes met his. Brown hair was strewn around messy, glasses sitting low on his nose, with a sickly sweet smile.

_"Hey guys, this is my brother!"_

And then came the voice that chilled me to the bones.

_"Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki... how interesting."_

That was where all of my problems began.

* * *

**A/N: AHAHAHA I'm such a bitch. Did you really think that I would give you her past that easily?**

**Nope~! I love a good mystery.**

**Don't worry, Haya's captainship will be revealed soon. And as to why she deserted the Soul Society... well you'll have to see. Muahahaha.**

**Cut me some slack, at least I gave you some dates to ponder over.**

**Actually I was gonna write the whole thing, but then I got lazy...**

**Heh heh... Woops!**

**I start school tomorrow which makes me sad... :(**

**Review or don't review, doesn't really make a difference in my life. Though it does make me happy...**

**Your choice.**

**Review...or don't review.**

**Push the button... or don't push the button.**

**Write a-**

**You know what I'm hungry.**

**Bye bye!**

**~ KAi**


	3. Trying to Live (I'm Really DYinG)

**A/N: Yayy! There were bunches of follows added to this story! I can't name you all 'cause I'm too lazy but oh well... Danke! I wuvv you guys!**

**Thank you to everyone who has followed/favorited!**

**Mew!**

**So now we're back to the present!**

**Shall we continue?**

* * *

_So this is life._

_Trying to live when I'm dying._

_Clinging to hope._

_Sharp intakes of breath._

_Sweaty bodies mingled together._

_Pain._

_What is hope?_

_It's something I knew long ago._

_We are all slowly dying._

_Fuck it. I'm gonna go jump off a cliff or something if I'm just gonna end up dying anyway._

* * *

"Nani?" I whispered, eyes wide with disbelief and something akin to fear.

Hayate looked at me before slamming his hands down on my head.

"What are you doing?! Put those away!"

I obeyed without a word.

Rukia.

My friend.

_My_ Rukia.

No... She couldn't have...

I couldn't process it.

My brother's expression softened.

"Hey...? You okay?"

"Yeah," I mumbled numbly. "I'm fine."

Even so, I leaned against the wall for support.

My voice was strangled.

"How?" I choked out.

A sigh.

"How did she become a shinigami or how did she...?"

"Both."

Another sigh.

"Kuchiki found her at the Academy. Looked a lot like his wife so apparently he took her in, much to the chagrin of his elders. He adopted her as his sister; boom, instant shinigami. She was good too. Especially when her fuku-taicho died...she saved a lot of people that day... But she got..._invovled_ with humans. A human boy to be specific. She gave him her powers. Because of that...she... she has to die."

I breathed out shakily.

"Ah... so Kuchiki-san had a wife... She died."

"Yes."

Silence.

Neon met emerald.

It was fear.

Plain and simple.

* * *

Fear sparked deep inside him.

Who was this person standing before him?

Hayato wasn't... _She wasn't like this!_

_Where was his sister?_

"I don't remember you calling him 'Kuchiki-san'. Last I remembered you were always saying 'Byakuya-kun' this 'Bya-kun' that."

He dared to ask the question that had been lingering on his mind for a while now.

"Hayato... what happened to you?"

A wry smile was cast his way.

"I dunno. It just kind of gets like this after a while. You can't really live the way you did before when you do what I do. It's like you can't cherish life as much when you've seen how easily it can all be taken away. Hayate... Why? Why did she do it?"

"There was a boy." Shit, his voice was raw. "She was trying to save him and his family."

"So she gave him her powers," she finished bitterly. "God damn! What kind of world is this?! Where we're arrested for doing our jobs? Where we're killed for saving al life?! _Bullshit!_ She saved someone, dammit! She did what she could to protect them, to do her _job_, full well knowing what would happen, and how do you repay her?! _You kill her. You fucking kill her._ What kind of world is that?"

She grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall.

"_What kind of fucking world is that?! I want to know!_" she shouted.

He stared at her, in shock as he watched all sanity leave her eyes for a moment. And then she was back, letting go of him and sinking against the wall.

"What kind of world of world is this?" she whispered.

He hugged her gently. If she was broken, well, at least they could be broken together.

And slowly he whispered, "Our world."

* * *

"Renji's the Sixth Division fukutaicho."

I jumped up. "Nani?!"

"Yeah. I thought you might wanna go visit him."

I snorted. Way to change the subject, Hayate.

"Sure, I'll go visit the little knucklehead."

"Good it'll give ya an excuse to get out, you old broad."

My eye twitched.

"What did you call me?"

"N-nothing ma'am!"

"Good."

Which was how I was at the Sixth Division fukutaicho's office in five minutes time.

"Abari-fukutaicho, there's someone here to see you, sir."

"Tell 'em to go away. I'm busy."

"It's urgent, sir. They said something about a, er, wild Sleestak invasion?"

"... A _what?!_"

I listened to the conversation, amused. That stupid pineapple was so easy to confuse. Which made me think, if Renji was a pineapple, what was Byakuya?

...

A banana. Definitely a banana.

Hurried footsteps broke me out of my thoughts; speak of the devil, the cherry-haired man rounded the corner with an annoyed look on his face.

Which turned into surprise when he saw me.

"Yo."

"Hayato-chan? Is it really you?"

"Hayato-chan? Wow Renji, I see that we've gone back to kindergarten. I mean seriously. You only called me that the first few days we knew each other. It's Hayato, you stupid bastard."

A grin split his face.

"It _is_ you! It's so good to see you! Wow you look older!"

I laughed. "As do you, _fukutaicho_."

"Heh heh...yeah."

"Tch...fucking over-achiever."

"Yeah well, my taicho doesn't seem to think that."

"You mean Kuchiki-san?"

"You know him?"

"Yes she knows me. It is...pleasant to see you again, Niigata-san."

I blinked.

"What the fuck?!"

Both looked at me.

"Since when did you have such a big stick growing up your ass, Byakuya?! It's a fucking tree by now!"

"You are to address me as Kuchiki-san."

"You know what...that's just what I mean... just for you _Bya-kun_."

I smirked when his eye twitched.

"And...I'm sorry about this."

"This?"

"Yes. All of this. I know that these past few years haven't been easy for you. Though I do hate bananas..."

Both of them gave me a what-the-hell-are-you-babbling-about-woman look.

"Now then, I should be leaving right about...now. Well see ya!"

With that, I was gone.

Renji looked at the noble taicho.

"Captain...?"

"Do not ask Abarai. I do not know what's wrong with her. No one does really."

* * *

There was a quiet humming on the rooftop.

"...feels so much like falling, dying while I wait to die..."

Cobalt eyes turned towards the girl.

"...the fear of something or nothing, lonely empty lie... I don't want to be a..."

Be a? Be a what?

"Liar..."

"I don't want to be selfish anymore..."

Finally, he couldn't take it any longer.

"Inoue-san."

The humming continued.

"Hey, Inoue-san!"

The caramel-haired girl jumped.

"Yes, Ishida-kun?"

"That song? What were you singing just now?"

The bubbly girl blushed a bit and rubbed her head.

"Just a silly little song... Did you like it?"

Uryu turned so she couldn't see the red tinting his cheeks.

"It...it wasn't silly."

"Oh..." He could've sworn she sounded sad for a second. "Okay then! Thank you Ishida-kun!"

And they walked to the edge of the roof, preparing to climb down.

Uryu took a second to look at the ginger-haired girl.

_No. Thank you Orihime._

_I loved it._

* * *

Loud cries and shouts were heard from where heard from where I was lying on the roof.

"Ngh? Must be the ryoka...screw it...I'm gonna take a freaking nap..."

And then I processed the words. Ryoka.

I half jumped half fell off the roof and landed, stumbling a bit.

Coming face to face with a bright blue arrow.

Big grey-brown eyes stared at me. I took in the girl.

She looked so young...so innocent. It was like watching a baby deer.

She instantly fascinated me.

Then my focus was on the arrow trained at my heart.

_A...Quincy?_

I almost smiled.

Almost.

There were survivors.

_A_ survivor.

The last Quincy.

The survivor from the big mess we made.

Cobalt blue eyes bore into me, showing no mercy. Midnight blue hair framed his face.

"Inoue-san," he said to the girl, "I'm going to have to defeat this shinigami so we can get past okay?"

"H-hai," the girl replied, eyes uncertain.

I had two choices: kill them. Or let them pass and save Rukia.

I had made up my mind long ago.

It was decided the second Hayate told me about Rukia.

I stepped out of the way.

"Go."

Two pairs of eyes looked at me incredulously.

"Nani?!"

"I'm here to kill you, and here I go letting you pass... No, I believe the exact words Yama-jii used were 'take care of the ryoka problem', right? Well this is taking care of it. The sooner you guys save Rukia, the sooner you leave. The sooner the 'problem' is fixed."

"But why-"

"Rukia is my friend. Save her. My mind is made up. Now go. Be careful. Avoid a man with white and black makeup at all costs. The one with the eyepatch, too. Rukia will be in that building over there. I would run, though. These troops aren't going to stay out for long. I wish you Godspeed."

The Quincy boy nodded.

"And Quincy..."

Blue eyes widened a bit.

"Make sure to protect her," I said, motioning towards the girl. "She's a keeper."

I winked and began walking away.

"W-wait!" the Quincy shouted, still blushing a bit from my previous comment. "Who are you?"

I looked at him.

"Who me? I'm no one. No one important at least. Trust me, I'm just the background music. I'm no one important. I would recommend that you forget you ever met me. It'll do you a world of good."

* * *

**A/N: Sooooo! She met Inoue and Ishida. Yes I ship it. Sooooo hard.**

**Anyway, short fast paced chapter. I'm sorry for any suckiness and/or typos; I typed this quick cause I wanna get another chapter out before I'm loaded with homework.**

**Thank you for all the follows/favorites!**

**~ KAi**


	4. Tiny Footprints

**A/N: So many freaking follows! *swoons* I think I'm gonna die... And a review~! It's my lucky day!**

**evewolf123: D'awwwww! I try I try. As for the Ishihime...well I couldn't help myself. They're sooooo cute together~!**

**IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ: Due to the way I want the story to go, Aizen will be found "dead" BEFORE Renji goes and fights Ichigo. I'll add this up to Haya changing things around a bit 'cause I'm awesome like that. So it'll go Aizen "dies" THEN Renji fights Ichigo. So yeahhhh...**

**Ummm...there's nothing more for me to really say here... XD**

**Onwards!**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_See the tiny footprints_

_Leadin' through the snow_

_Follow tiny footprints-_

_(If you escape the snapping beak_

_And the flapping wings)_

_Tiny footprints are not always_

_Made by tiny things._

_- Shel Silverstein "Tiny Footprints"_

* * *

"Niigata-san!"

"Are you okay?!"

"Did you see the ryoka?!"

I kept silent about the "heinous crime" I had just committed, playing it off like I was still on _their_ side.

I'll love the look on their faces when they realized that I never was on _their_ side.

Not since three hundred years ago.

But they don't need to know that. Not now at least.

I shook my head gravely, looking down the path they took.

"Nah. I heard fighting, but by the time I came over here to investigate, they were running off."

A young man with spiky black hair and a scar on his face walked up to me.

"Could you identify them to me?"

"Yeah. A boy with glasses and a wierd, uh, bow thingy. And a girl. Oh! And it was glowing!"

The guy looked at me like I was crazy.

"The girl was...glowing?"

"What?! No! Not the girl, his..." I trailed off. Huh. He had a wierd tattoo. And it was a sixty-nine.

A sixty-nine.

Cue immature giggling.

I pressed my face right next to his, eyeing his tattoo.

"Uhhhhhh..."

I turned his face, trying to decipher why he would want to get a tattoo like that. What was it? The position? Random numbers? His dog's name? Nuclear code?

"What are you..."

"Nice tattoo you got there," I murmured, my face still very close to his.

"Uhh...what do you..."

I let go of him, sending him flying backwards.

"No the girl was not glowing, the _bow_ was," I said, acting as if the whole tattoo incident hadn't occurred. The poor guy was still rubbing his cheek.

"Now officer if you would proceed to make the proper deductions, I'll be going."

Halfway down the path, I stopped and whirled around.

"Who _are_ you?" I asked curiously.

"Me? I'm... Hisagi Shuuhei."

I smirked.

"Nice to meet you Hisagi Shuuhei. I would recommend you keep low these next few days; wouldn't want that pretty little head of yours getting chopped off, now would we?"

I laughed at my own joke, and shunpoed away.

"Fukutaicho..."

"Yeah?"

"...She's wierd."

"...Yeah..."

* * *

"Day three," I said to myself, lying on the bed.

Three freaking days.

Oh god. I was gonna die. This was it. This was really going to kill me.

But if it meant getting out of this place and getting to spit in the Soul King's face, then, by the power bestowed in me, I would do it.

Did I feel guilty?

Of course. After all, doing that would mean hurting my brother.

My plan was simple really: help the ryoka escape, fuck up the Soul Society a bit in the process, and hightail it out of there.

Of course it meant that I would be a fugitive, and the whole place would go down the tubes.

But I didn't really care.

I know, I disgusted myself sometimes.

Then again, I was a cat. And cats only care about what's best for themselves. Which goes back to me hating myself.

But it's what I had to do. Even if it meant me hating myself, there was no way I could stay there.

The faces I knew have changed.

And I never change.

And, while the Soul Society had such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face, it was such a pretty, pretty waste.

It used me.

I hate being used.

But I wasn't going to go on a killing spree or anything. I was going to help the ryoka. It was that simple. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but it was what I had to do.

There was a knock on my door.

"Feel free to stay out there and rot," I muttered, getting up to open the dreaded piece of wood.

When I saw who it was, I resisted the urge to slam the door in his face.

It was Sosuke Aizen. Now my least favorite Captain. Maybe I _should_ go on a killing spree...

God knows why _he's_ a Captain. I mean, who would fucking choose the creep?!

But Shinji was smart. He had his reasons.

"Hello, Aizen-san!" I chirped, cringing at how happy I sounded.

"Please, Hayato-san, there is no need to be so formal."

Oh there he goes, the I'm-so-fucking-innocent-look-at-my-puppy-dog-eyes act.

I laughed. "I'll start calling you Sosuke-kun when you start calling me Hayato-chan. Plus you're higher in rank than me now!"

The brunette blushed a bit. "N-not really! After all, you were above me for so long... I think of us as equals..."

A grin spread across my face.

"So what'dya want Aizen-san?" I asked as he entered my room.

"I wanted to talk about Rukia Kuchiki's execution."

I stiffened immediately.

"What of it?"

"Ah, so you know of it then."

I narrowed my eyes. What was he hiding?

"Yes," I said cautiously. "I know of it."

He nodded.

"Amazing how she made one mistake, and they decide to kill her, ne Hayato-chan?" His wry grin became a bit sinister.

My blood ran cold.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Do you think it's fair that Rukia-san is being killed, Hayato-san?"

"Tch. That's not my place to decide is it, now? And even if it was, she broke the law; she knew full well what was going to happen. Those who break the law deserve to be killed."

_Forgive me, Rukia._

A laugh. "You're so cold, Hayato-san! But...it's puzzling how something as small as a ryoka invasion is making such a big impact."

I gave him a warning look.

"Tiny footprints are not always made by tiny things, Aizen-san," I said.

"My apologies, Hayato-san. Oh! And here..."

He pulled an piece of paper from his shihakusho and hissed when he cut his finger on it.

"Ow! Woops, sorry, I'm fine, I'm fine..."

I took paper from him.

"Thank you Aizen-san."

He nodded and hurried out the door.

I watched his retreating figure from the window.

My eyes flickered to the paper.

It was a letter. Tomorrow, a time, a place.

Blood from his cut was smeared by his signature.

I felt the bile rising in the back of my throat.

This was very not good.

I steepled my fingers under my chin.

Yes this was not good at all.

* * *

My feet made a quiet shuffling sound as I walked to the building.

The day was warm and quiet.

Too quiet.

It was so, so quiet.

"Why am I doing this again?" I muttered.

It was too empty, too.

There was no one around.

"And why here?" I mused. "Why here of all places?"

I never answered my question. Because that's when I saw the blood.

So much blood. The smell burned my nose.

It was making me sick.

I followed the red splatter up, up, up.

Until I reached the body.

Nails were pinned through the hands; it looked as if someone had ripped his throat out and flipped it inside out.

Brown hair was strewn around his face, eyes looking right down at me. A peaceful smile was on his face.

It was Aizen.

There was a loud scream behind me, and a girl with her cocoa-colored hair tied up in a bun ran past me, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Aizen-san," she whispered. "No..."

She let loose a blood-curdling shriek.

"_No!_"

Unconsciously, she charged at me, unsheathing her zanpaku-to. Unlucky for me, I wasn't looking at her.

The bite of the metal in my shoulder made me jump. She barreled into me shouting in fury.

I hissed in pain as the blade dug deeper into my shoulder. I rolled away from her, stripping off my shirt to see my bandage-wrapped chest becoming soaked with red.

"Shit," I muttered, green eyes narrowed.

I looked up to see that the girl had released her shikai.

Her brown eyes were betrayed and confused.

I felt my guard slip a little.

That's when she charged.

Her zanpaku-to sliced into my shoulder again. She deepened the hole in the wall with my body.

Blood spilled from my lips.

Dammit, she was a second seat.

I winced, thinking something along the lines of, _Shit I'm sorry 'bout this._

My one working fist connected with her face, sending her flying.

This only enraged her further. She flew at me again.

I probably would've been skewered if it wasn't for the blonde.

He grabbed the girl at the last second, blue eyes wide with fear.

"Momo! Stop!"

"Let go of me!" she screamed. "LET...GO!"

Her eyes turned to something behind the blonde. Her struggling became even more frantic.

"LET GO! IT WAS HIM! IT WAS HIM! LET ME GO!"

I looked at what she was struggling so hard to get to.

The taicho's silver hair glinted in the sun, slitted eyes never opening, face in an eternal grin. The Fox.

"Gin."

The man looked at me.

"Eh? Oh hello there Haya-chan."

Let me get something straight.

I liked Gin. He was fun. He was more...lenient than the other Captains. But I kept my distance.

Which only made me more suspicious as to why he was here.

I sensed another reiatsu rapidly approaching us.

My arm began to hurt again.

I glanced at the girl, Momo. Her screams had dwindled down to choked sobs.

"Please, Izuru... Aizen-san... _Aizen-san!_"

The poor girl sounded like she had lost her father.

I crouched down near her.

"Hey," I murmured. "It's okay."

Her eyes snapped open, fury blazing within them.

"You!" she hissed. "Did you do it?!"

She lunged out of the blonde's hold, grabbing her zanpaku-to and cutting my cheek.

A hand grabbed her wrist before she could get farther.

I looked at Hitsugaya.

"Get her out of here," I growled.

"Niigata-san-"

"It's fine! Whatever you need to say can wait! Your main priority right now is her. Get her to Unohana. That's an order."

The icy taicho nodded meekly and shunpoed away.

A small crowd began to gather.

And I knew three thing for sure.

One: Something was going on.

Someone was being the puppet master, pulling the strings and playing us all.

Two: Aizen was most definitely not dead.

And three: Somehow I had managed to become hopelessly and irreversibly tangled in this all.

Or maybe I was part of the plan from the very beginning.

* * *

**A/N: Aizen's dead. Joy. And our little Haya doesn't really know how to feel about that.**

**Shorter chapter this time, I know. But it's for a good cause. *mysterious grin***

**Annnnnnywho, loved it, hated it, wanted some cheese?**

**Review?**

**Oh and a happy birthday to my sister!**

**Lurv you Mel!**


	5. The Difference is You

**A/N: Yayyyy! Another chappy! Full name: The difference between the past and the present is you. Abbreviated name: The difference is you.**

**evewolf123: Don't we all? Remember the good ol' days when we thought that Grand Fisher was as intense as it was gonna get? XD How wrong were we? D'awwwww danke! I'm glad too! X3**

**I got a new violin because I outgrew the other (1/2 size if anyone was wondering. Her name was Squirrel :3) and I named him Hayate. X3 I'm such a nerd.**

**Special surprise at the end of the chapter just 'cause you guys are awesome!**

**And also, the timeline got majorly f-ed up because of Hayato so here's the order of stuffff:**

**1. Ryoka and Haya arrive 2. Hayato learns about Rukia's execution, meets some shinigami, helps Uryu and Orihime 3. Aizen "dies" 4. Ikkaku vs Ichigo 5. Ichigo and Ganju meet Hanataro 6. Renji vs Ichigo**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's and my imagination. Last time I'm gonna say that.**

**Warnings: Feels, me being a bitch, cliffhangers the size of Mount fucking Everest**

**So yep. Yeeeeeeeepppppp.**

**To Narnia!**

* * *

_I remember those days when I flew_

_In that big old sky that's so bright and blue_

_Now that sky is withered and grey_

_The difference between the past and the present_

_Is you._

* * *

I rolled my shoulder with a sigh.

Damn. None of this was making any sense. It was blatantly obvious that Aizen wasn't dead.

But how would he be able to come up with a scheme _that_ elaborate in so little time?! It's not like you have hours of time on your hands when you become a Captain!

The only explanation I could come up with is that the body was a doll. But then came the question of how he could make something like that. How could he have put it all up? Someone must've been watching! It's made no sense!

My eyes narrowed and I gripped my shoulder so tightly, I was afraid that all of Unohana's healing earlier had been for nothing.

_What of he hadn't been planning this just recently? What if this has been going on for years...centuries? If so, then that means it was you all along..._

"Damn it Shinji," I muttered. "It looks like you were right."

I could only imagine the look on the blonde's face, his gloating laugh. I had believed him all along, but this only proved his point.

I buried my face in my hands. There were so many questions spinning around my head.

Where were Shinji and Hiyori and Lisa? And Love and Rose? Kensei, Mashiro, and Hachi?

What had happened after I left?

How did Aizen become Captain?

There was so much I didn't know.

And everyone refused to give me answers.

There was a huge explosion of reiatsu.

My head snapped up.

"Ryoka," I murmured.

All of the sudden, a second presence appeared near the first.

And a third buried under it all, much weaker than the rest.

I sighed again, stroking my armguards gently.

I got up off the bed and decided to stretch out my cat parts a bit.

My ears flickered to life, twitching a bit. My tail swooshed lazily.

I sat down in front of the mirror, and suddenly had the urge to break it.

This wasn't who I wanted to be. Since when did I get involved in shit like this?

_Since you left_, a voice said.

_Shut up_, I told it.

I was tired. So fucking tired.

My eyes didn't hold the same happiness that they used to.

_Not since you'd been gone...Alignak._

I had spent every day searching for him. But I never was able to find him. It was like he had disappeared. But I knew what had really happened. He was like me, after all. And like me, he had moved on. Gotten a wife, had kids... Had a normal life without me in it.

And part of me was glad for it. Glad that he could live a normal life.

But that was only a part of me.

Because the thought of him leaving me behind- abandoning me...it killed me inside.

I remember how he would smile at me like only I mattered. And how he would always protect me and hug me during thunderstorms and tell me stories...

He made me _human._

I felt something wet running down my cheeks- Shit was I crying?

"Dammit," I muttered, cursing these stupid human emotions. But no matter how much I wiped at my eyes, the tears just kept coming.

And I couldn't, for the life of me, understand _why_.

All I knew was that something inside me hurt and it wasn't a wound from an enemy blade.

I put my hands over my mouth to muffle any sound that might've escaped me.

I hated emotion.

_Maybe it's because of you Alignak. Maybe you're why I hate feeling so much. It reminds me so much of you. You knew everything about my with just one look. Where are you, Alignak? Why did you leave me behind? I thought you promised..._

I stumbled towards the piano. My fingers hovered over the keys.

But I couldn't make myself play.

And that scared me.

I had always been able to play, even when everything else was falling down around me.

To not be able to play was like being mute. It was like the fear you get when your voice is stolen from you. And believe me, I know how that feels.

My ears were flattened against my head, tail curled around me as I wept.

And all because of a stupid man that made my heart speed up.

All because of the stupid man that had made me fall in love.

Damn him to hell.

* * *

I'm not quite sure when I fell asleep. All I knew was that something was was pounding on the wall and it was creeping the shit outta me.

I groaned. Hayate had a girl over again, didn't he?

The pounding sound continued, and somewhere in my murky brain, it processed that it wasn't pounding but knocking.

I sat up, wide awake, and instantly put my neko parts away.

I rushed to the door. And almost got my nose chopped off by a maniac with a sword.

"Shi-ahhhhh!" I sprang back a good three feet from the man who looked a good deal like my old taicho.

That's when I finally processed the white haori.

This couldn't be...

Shit.

The Eleventh Kenpachi.

I did the only thing I could int that situation: I slammed the door.

Which was brought to the ground five seconds later.

Which sent my brother running out of his room half-naked. No shirt, boxers, covered in sweat.

Huh. I guess he _did_ have a girl over.

"What's wrong?" he panted. "Oh...hi Kenpachi-taicho."

I stared at my brother.

"How can you talk so calmly?! The brute's about to kill me!"

"Well that's your problem. You can take him."

With that he walked back into his room.

"Wait, Hayate! Don't leave me out here with him!"

The Eleventh Division taicho eyed me like a lion stalking it's prey.

"Shit."

I jumped out the window and ran for my life.

* * *

Which was how I ended up at the fukutaichos' meeting.

I slammed the door shut, panting.

"Yo, Hayato! You okay there? You look like you just ran a marathon."

I glared at Renji.

"You know, if I hadn't just ran for my fucking life from that idiot Kenpachi, I would fucking kill you right now."

"Aw, c'mon. Have some sympathy for the guy. After all, you were a Kenpachi too once, weren't you?"

I looked away from the redhead. "That was a long time ago."

"Same difference."

I huffed indignantly and scanned the room, noticing that the little fukutaicho, Momo, wasn't there.

"Where's the Fifth Division fukutaicho?" I asked him.

It was Renji's turn to look away.

"She's um...a bit incapacitated at the moment."

I narrowed my eyes but didn't question him.

The other fukutaichos looked at me with mild confusion. I ignored them. They didn't matter right now. And when they did, I would damn well make sure they knew.

It was fairly peaceful for a while. Just the normal boring stuff.

An increase in hollows in certain areas and the like.

Which was when the messenger decided to arrive.

And announced that the Eleventh Division fukutaicho, Ikkaku Madarame, had been cut down by a ryoka. A man named Ichigo Kurosaki.

My heart skipped a beat at the name.

Where did I know it?

A busty strawberry-blonde woman turned to where Renji was, a panicked look on her face.

Only to find that the redhead was gone.

I cursed. That idiot! I didn't know where I knew that Kurosaki kid from, but from the sound of it, he was dangerous.

Renji was gonna get himself killed.

The woman looked at me, thinking the same thing I was.

"Stay here," I ordered.

* * *

I shunpoed over the roofs, cursing myself all the way there.

Dammit! How could I have been so stupid?!

Of course Renji would go after the guy; he held a grudge against him apparently.

But all of this fit together so perfectly... The perfect little apocalypse for the perfect little world.

_Dammit! What the hell is going on?! None of this makes sense... It's all too convenient. And Aizen has something to do with it... Oh the fools... All this is going on under their very noses. Now I remember why I left. I've gotta get out of here__!_

There he was- I saw him!

He was soaked in blood already, as was his opponent.

God, they got right to it didn't they.

Their blades clashed again.

I was torn.

Did I betray one of my best- one of my only- friends...

Or did I save the ryoka and lose that friend?

Turns out that fate chose for me.

Because when I saw the boy, my whole body went cold.

Brown eyes met mine for a second, orange hair swayed gently.

My heart began to beat erratically.

I felt my eyes widen.

It all made sense.

Why the name seemed familiar.

Why the ryoka seemed to attract me.

Because I _did_ know him.

In a lifetime long ago, I knew him.

It was Alignak.

* * *

**A/N: Ahahahahahaaaa I'm such a bitch! Cliff hanger I know... TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY! OH YEAHHH!**

**Did anyone see that one coming? (Hopefully not XD)**

**Well nothing else to really say here...**

**Loved it, hated it? Review?**

**Cookies to all!**


	6. Pulling the Trigger

**A/N: Helloooooooo :D**

**So how'd you all do with that cliffhanger? XP**

**Anyway, I couldn't very well find a good title for this chapter. Sadness.**

**I'm bored.**

**And moving! Yayyy!**

**...**

**...But mostly bored.**

**Also, I was invited to one of my friend's Bar mitzvah (I don't think I spelled that right). I have no idea what to do since I'm not Jewish and I've never been to one before. It seems really...strict... **

* * *

_I hate the light_

_Because it reminds me of you_

* * *

_It was Alignak._

I felt like my whole being was trembling.

It couldn't be. It couldn't be him.

He wasn't my Alignak. He couldn't be.

My mind told me it wasn't.

But my heart sped up.

It gave me the same feeling I always got when I was around him.

The conflicting emotions I was feeling were starting to give me a headache. There was too much confusion.

What the hell was going on?!

I wanted so badly to hug him and to be able to say that I could finally live "happily ever after".

_It's Alignak. It has to be. He looks the same. Hell, he even __smells the same... It feels so much like him..._

But something held me back.

I felt the pang in my heart as my happiness deflated, leaving a hollow emptiness behind.

It felt like dying again. Or becoming a hollow. Hell, maybe even both.

Because I realized.

This man in front of me didn't remember.

I tried to ignore the tears pricking my eyes.

It wasn't him.

It wasn't Alignak.

_Damn it!_ I thought.

I had gotten so close. So close to finding him, and now all of the little hope I had was gone. It made me want to punch a wall. It made me want to scream.

I was glad when Renji swung his zanpaku-to at the boy. It gave me something else to focus on.

I shifted my narrowed green eyes from his (slightly) surprised gaze and spun around, blocking the attack with my armguard.

Renji looked absolutely shell-shocked.

"What the- Hayato, move! You're-"

I narrowed my eyes.

"In your way? Yeah. I know."

"What...?!"

"C'mon Renji. It doesn't take a genius to see what I'm doing."

Comprehension dawned on his face.

"Hayato! He's...he's the enemy!" the redhead exclaimed.

"No," I whispered quietly, my voice choked. "You are."

I could see the betrayal written all over his face.

My oldest friend...

_I'm sorry._

"No...Hayato...don't do this...!"

"Tell everyone that I'm not sorry... But for you I am... I'm sorry Renji-kun. I'm so, so sorry that you had to get caught up in this sick, twisted game of mine. But there can only be one player. And that's me."

The look in his eyes shifted from betrayal to fury.

"Why?" he demanded, his voice hoarse from unshed tears. "_Why are you doing this?!_"

"I can't just let Rukia die! You can stop this Renji! You can-"

"Shut up. Just shut the fucking hell up, Niigata. If you're just gonna stand there, then move. 'Cause I won't refrain from hitting you. This is my fight and you'll be the worst type of traitorous scum if you interfere."

I tried one last time.

"He'll kill you, you know."

That stopped him.

"When you lose... Byakuya, he'll kill you."

I felt his fist connect with my cheek and send me flying. I didn't try to stop it.

I deserved it.

But it was what I had to do. Cut all ties with him to protect him from any more pain I may cause.

"You bastard," the orange-haired boy that looked so much like my Alignak snarled.

Huh. Even his voice sounded the same.

"You're talking about how she's scum... Only the lowest of the low would hit a woman while she's unarmed!"

With that, he leapt at Renji, swinging his large zanpaku-to.

I closed my eyes.

And I waited for Renji to lose.

* * *

"Ma'am are you okay?" Hanataro asked running forward.

He pulled back gasping as she turned her intense green eyes on him. The feeling that went through him was something akin to being dumped into an ice cold lake: electrified, freezing, and horrifying all at the same time. It was like a blade was going straight through him.

Her eyes were cold, colder than ice. The neon green should have been warm and comforting, but they looked...

Scary. So, so scary.

She blinked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The fucking idiot can throw a punch though."

She rubbed her cheek gently and sighed.

"I didn't expect him to get angry so fast..."

Realization hit him straight on the head.

"You're-"

"Don't say it."

"- the Protector!"

She groaned.

"Aaaaand you said it."

"But where are all your badges? And your huge sword? And-"

Her eyes snapped back to his face. The cold feeling went through him again. He shut up.

"Woah, woah, woah. What? First of all, I do _not_ have a huge sword. I don't even carry one on me. I have no weapons. No knife, nothing. And second of all, I only have _three_ badges, which would be a bit too flashy if I wore them. I want to get at least a _tiny_ head start before Yama-jii's got the hounds nipping at me heels. If I wore them, it would be like saying, "Come and get me! I'm right here!" And that's the_ last_ thing I need."

Hanataro apologized hastily. To his surprise, she smiled. But instead of the icy feeling going away, it just got stronger.

_It isn't real_, he realized. _Her smile isn't real._

He looked a bit closer, daring to look at her eyes, something few people dared to do. There was a cold tugging in his stomach. He looked away quickly.

It was impossible. He couldn't read her. It was like she wasn't even there at all.

"Hey kid."

He looked up.

"Me?"

"Yeah you. What's your name?"

"H-Hanataro."

"Flower, huh? It's pretty. I like it. Hanataro-kun," she said, testing it out. "It rolls off your tongue."

"Th-thank you um..."

"Niigata. Niigata Hayato."

"Well, uh, thank you Niigata-sama."

She looked at him in surprise. The cold he had felt earlier was replaced by a gentle warmth, like a blanket.

"Sama? Niigata-sama? Did you just... Wow. I mean I've gotten Niigata-san before, but never "sama"... Please, call me Hayato. There's no need to be so formal with me... After all, I'm nowhere near being noble enough to be addressed as "sama". Please, I'm Hayato. Simply Hayato."

"Um... Okay... Hayato-chan."

She laughed a bit.

"You're so adorable, Hanataro-kun! And your name is co cute! I just can't get over it!"

He chuckled.

"Well, Shiba-san and Ichigo-san didn't seem to think so..."

"Really? Ganju's the baka over there right?"

She nodded towards a figure a few yards away from them.

"Yeah..."

"Well, I mean, I can understand that. He looks like a _manly man_." She deepened her voice and puffed out her chest.

Hanataro laughed, a real laugh, the kind you can only share with friends.

"But..._Ichigo_...it's not like him to say stuff like that."

The seventh seat chuckled.

"You make it sound like you know him," he remarked.

She stiffened. The cold was back.

He cursed himself. Just when she was starting to lower her barriers, he had said the wrong thing. Now she was distant again.

"No," she whispered. "I don't know him."

"Hayato-chan?"

She smiled at him painfully. "Sorry, Hanataro-kun. Just zoned out a bit there."

Hanataro smiled. "S'okay."

That earned him a grin. "And Hanataro-kun..."

"Yeah?"

"Please...don't tell anyone about who I am."

He opened his mouth to respond.

That's when the blade made contact with Ichigo's shoulder.

And ripped straight through, the serrated edges hacking and ripping away the flesh down to the bone.

* * *

"Ichigo-san!" Hayato screamed.

"Kurosaki!" Ganju shouted.

The black-haired boy turned to where the small shinigami had been standing moments before.

"Niigata-san-"

She was gone.

Ichigo sank to his knees. Renji smirked and got ready to deliver the final blow.

Hayato grabbed his zanpaku-to with her bare hand and pulled him close, too close to strike her.

"Let go-"

"And you're calling me the scum," she hissed in his face, spitting in fury. "What kind of trash do you have to be to hit a man when he's down?!"

Green eyes blazed.

"Let go you bitch."

"I said I would not interfere this fight, Renji. But this is just wrong. You never, NEVER, hit a man while he's down. I taught you that."

"And some philosophy that is coming from a traitor like you," he spat back.

"Not everyone is born a traitor, Renji. You become one because of a logical reason. You become a traitor...because of...something that happens to you. I said that to you back when I was still here. _When I was still sane, you bastard. _If you had gone through what I had, then you would betray everyone you loved if you could have one drop, _one little drop_, of revenge."

"You never were there, were you?!" he shouted. "You always had that far away look on your face. You were never there for me, and you were never there for Rukia either! And now look at where that's gotten her! You could've helped her. You could have _saved_ her."

The pain on Renji's face made her falter. It gave him just enough time to fling her away.

She glared at the redhead.

Renji took a step towards the ginger.

"Hado, Number Four: Byakurai!"

The white bolt barely missed Renji.

He turned and looked at Hayato.

Her hand was out in front of her, held steady with years of experience.

Her green eyes blazed defiantly. Her jaw was set in grim determination.

"Take another step...and I'll kill you." Her voice was dangerously low.

She was serious. Dead serious.

"I don't want to have to hurt you, Renji. But it's time to change the players. You lost the game. I'm so sorry Renji."

"You piece of trash. You just want to hurt all of us don't you?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Do not make assumptions about me, Abarai."

"If you don't want me to talk to you, then butt out of my fight."

She dipped her head, backing away.

Not doing anything when he threw Ichigo into the wall.

Just sitting.

Watching.

And smiling.

When the boy got to his feet.

"Sorry..."

A tear ran down her face.

"Renji..."

_Goodbye...old friend_, she mouthed.

"I've found..."

_It all starts here._

"_My resolve._"

The blast echoed around the buildings.

It shot right past her, making her hair fly wildly around her face and illuminating her skin with a ghostly blue glow as she sat there with her eyes closed. She was smiling.

The light died down.

Renji's battered and bloody form sank to the ground, clinging to the ginger. His red hair cascaded down around his face, hiding his tears.

And he looked at the boy. And screamed:

"_Save her! Save Rukia!_"

Hayato stood up as he sank down, unconscious.

Her eyes were sad.

Her smile was too.

She looked at the ginger's stiff frame.

And stood by his side as he collapsed.

* * *

Brown eyes flickered open, staring at the ceiling of what was now one of his least favorite places in the world: the sewer.

"Ah! He's up!"

He turned his head toward the voice, looking at the three forms in front of him.

Three? Wait...hadn't he been travelling with only _two_ other people before?

There was Hanataro and Ganju...but who was-

The girl was there.

He sat up in alarm.

Determined hands pushed him down again.

"Rest. You're gonna need it," she murmured.

"Why the hell should I listen to you?" he growled.

She sighed.

"I don't know why anyone listens to me, truthfully. I'm just a crazy old bat with too many superstitions I guess. By all means, kill me now if you want to. It's not like I'll be welcomed here after this anyway."

He felt some sympathy for her well up inside him. She was Renji's friend, he recalled.

"Trust or not, I'm on your side. I'm here to help you save Rukia."

He sat up and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"You know Ru- woah!"

He had sprung up a bit too fast and sent them both flying to the edge of the walkway, just barely catching them in time to stop from falling into the water.

He blinked.

Beautiful green eyes stared up at him owlishly.

He had a sad feeling inside of him, as if he'd seen those eyes before.

They were so sad though. They put up a barrier, to hide the pain.

Something he could relate to.

They both blushed as they realized the compromising position they were in.

He scrambled up quickly.

"I'm so sorry-"

He fell again, but this time from fatigue.

Instead of hitting the hard floor though, someone stood under him, supporting him.

Green eyes looked up at him, annoyed.

"Could you stop falling?"

"S-sorry."

She sighed. "S'okay. Can't blame you really. You took quite a beating back there."

She led him back to where he had been lying, and shoved her hands in the pockets of her pants.

"Rest up for now. We're gonna have a long journey ahead of us. Just lay down and we'll start tomorrow-"

"Yeah!" Ganju shouted, appearing behind her. "Rest up or I'll knock your lights out-"

Without even turning around, she casually lifted up her leg and kicked him in the face, sending him flying into the river.

About an hour later, when Ganju was dried off and had apologized to her ("I swear to God, if you make me apologize to you, you're gonna get much worse than a dunk in the river, Bathboy!"), they were all sitting down in an awkward silence.

"What are we gonna do?" Hanataro murmured.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ganju said. "We're gonna get out there and kick some shinigami ass!"

"Yeah but how?"

"Fight," was the solemn reply. Green eyes stared at the ceiling; her voice was just a low rumble. "There's no way to get out other than fight. Soon's I'm a confirmed traitor, I'll go out and see if I can form some alliances with the taichos..."

"And how do we know we can trust you?" Ganju demanded.

Ichigo watched the girl carefully.

"You don't," she finally said. "You'll just have to trust me."

"I dunno about this..."

Her head snapped up, and she looked at him indignantly.

"Listen, Bathboy, I don't really wanna be here with you either, but if I wanna save my friend, then I'll fucking hang myself off Mount-Fucking-Everest to do it!" she hissed.

Ichigo finally spoke up.

"You know Rukia."

She sighed.

"Yeah. She was one of my best friends a long time ago."

"What happened?"

Green met brown.

"I left."

"Who are you?"

"Hayato. Niigata Hayato."

"Hayato. Boy's name isn't it?"

"Yes."

"You a guy?"

A smirk. "Nope."

"I'm Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo."

She smiled. "I know. And tell me, do you not trust me too?"

He looked at her seriously.

"No," he said slowly. "You haven't given me any reason not to. So until then, I trust you. Utterly and completely. I'll be watching you closely but...I already know that you won't try to betray us."

She sat like a cat, looking down at him with the tiniest of smiles on her face.

"Good. The feeling's mutual."

And the ginger smiled, looking at Hayato.

"Ready for some gore?"

"Hell yeah."

* * *

**A/N: New chapter yayyy~! Sorry if it's a bit crappy, I wrote it all today... Sadly, I won't be able to update for a while seeing as I'm moving so I tried to make this one good and long. Ichigo and Haya finally met! Yay!**

**Loved it, hated it?**

**Some odd mix of the two?**

**Snicker Doodles!**

**~ KAi**


	7. The Truth About the Cat

**A/N: Aggggghh! Sorry for the slightly long wait! I was moving out of my family's little cookie-cutter house in over-crowded ol' Phoenix to the middle of the freaking desert in Carefree. It's a big house too and has lots of nature...! My dog killed a scorpion, we saw a Gila Monster, almost ran over a few quails and a bunny (don't worry; I saved Chappy!)**

**So yeah. Updates might be a little late here soon seeing as we still need to get all our crap organized... ^^;**

**evewolf123: Thank god for that. I love surprises. And toes. Maybe I should get my grandma that for Christmas. Or not. Happy birthday! *throws cake at face***

**Happy birthday to all!**

* * *

_Here I stand_

_Waiting for this silhouette_

_To become a shadow_

* * *

Ganju was getting antsy.

Foot-tapping, paranoid, eye-twitching antsy.

"That's it! I can't take it any more! I gotta get outta here!"

The other three looked up at him; Hayato jumped a bit at his outburst.

She stood up from where she'd been sitting at the wall.

"I'm gonna go scout ahead," she muttered, annoyed.

Ganju paused.

"No."

"What? You wanna come with, or-"

"You're not going."

Green eyes narrowed dangerously.

"And why would that be, Bathboy?"

Ganju ignored her death glare. "How do we know you won't rat us out?"

She scoffed. "Tch. Like I would do that. Even if I did tell 'em where you guys are, I already betrayed them. I'd get in trouble too, asshole. I may be a masochist, but I really don't wanna get my ass whooped by Yama-jii."

"I don't believe you."

"Then come with me and I can prove you wrong."

"Fat chance, bitch."

"Or maybe you can come with me and I'll lead you down a wrong end and kill you silently."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me," she snarled. "I'll spank you like the child you are!"

"G-guys..." Hanataro stuttered nervously, afraid to get between the two, who were hissing and spitting like cats.

"Now if you excuse me," she spat, "I have some scouting to do."

"Tch. A weakling like you? What would you get done? You just tag along to get attention. I've seen bitches like you before. I know what you do. You tag along and act all sweet and dumb. But all you want is to play the game."

She stopped dead.

He continued.

"You seduce men and fuck them like the whore you are, panting and moaning and begging for more, call us your master and-"

A hand grabbed his throat and slammed him against the wall. Hayato grabbed him by his collar and held him a few feet of the ground.

"Teme!" she hissed furiously, bristling. "I am lenient with most things, but there is a line that must never be crossed. And you, Shiba Ganju, have crossed the line!"

Green eyes blazed, and her nails dug into his skin.

"I swear to god, if you _ever_ call me that again, you fucking man-whore, you'll wish that when I threw you in, you had drowned when you had a chance!"

The stocky man gulped at the murderous look in her eyes. He looked at Ichigo, who was beginning to get up, reaching for Zangetsu.

And then, he could breathe again. He gasped and sank down, eyeing her warily.

She plopped down with sigh.

"If it really upsets you that much, I won't go," she said quietly. "But you need to respect the fact that I have boundaries. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap."

When Ichigo was sure she was asleep, he looked at Ganju and Hanataro.

"Got anything?" Ganju asked.

"Yeah..."

* * *

Ganju and Hanataro listened quietly while he told them about his fight with Madarame.

Ganju whistled when he was done. "Sounds like one tough guy."

"Yeah... Did you get anything out of the feather guy?"

"Him? No... What about you?"

Ichigo paused hesitantly.

"He told me to watch out for someone... He goes by the name of Kenpachi apparently."

Hanataro opened his mouth to speak, but someone beat him to it.

"That's advice to live by. Zaraki's a brute of a man."

Ichigo jumped a few feet at the voice.

"Wha- You're supposed to be asleep!"

Hayato looked at him with one green eye open and shrugged. "I'm a light sleeper."

Ganju eyed her.

"How much of that did you hear?"

Another shrug.

"Enough to know that you guys are gonna need a shitload of help. And luck."

A determined voice spoke up.

"So be our luck."

She stared at him, cheeks tinting red.

"What?"

"Be. Our. Luck."

Brown eyes met green.

"Tell us everything you know. Be our guide. Be our luck."

She nodded once.

"Who is this Kenpachi?"

"Like I said before, he's a monster of a man. He lives to fight and loves a good bloodbath. If you fight him, chances are you'll die. But if even Kenpachi is getting in on this... That isn't good at all. I was going to see if I could go make some alliances up there with a few of the more lenient Captains, but it seems like they're all in on this one. I mean, Kenpachi loves a good fight and all, but he never pushes himself to do what Yama-jii wants. If he's joining the fight...well, then we're royally fucked to put it lightly."

"You're talking about this guy like you know him," Ganju commented. "Are you in his Division?"

She mentally cursed.

"No," she said quickly, hoping they would drop the it, "I'm not."

There was a short silence.

"Whose Division are you in then?" Ichigo asked.

She cursed again, thinking fast, and thanking all the years she had spent making different identities for herself.

"Sixth Division, under Kuchiki Byakuya."

The ginger visibly tensed at the name.

"Are you seated?" Hanataro asked.

She glanced at him gratefully for keeping her secret and playing along.

"Nah," she said. "Apparently I'm too 'immature' for that."

"I can see why," Ichigo muttered.

He got a foot in the face for that one.

A leg wrapped around his neck as she slammed him onto the ground.

"One!...two!...three!..."

"Tap out! Tap out!" he cried.

She let go of him smirking.

He took the chance to leap at her, pinning her with his weight.

"Not so strong now, eh?"

"Not fair!" she hissed. "You're ten times my size!"

He stuck his tongue out.

She kicked him in the groin and laughed as he fell back yelping.

"Fuck you!"

"Tch. I already knew you wanted to."

"W-wait! No I just- I mean you kicked me so hard I just had to fuck you! I mean- Aaaaagggh!"

She snickered.

"That's what she said."

The three of them burst out laughing as Ichigo's face got even redder.

* * *

"It's so fucking hot down here," I panted.

We'd been travelling for less than an hour and had made about as much progress as a sedated snail due to the heat.

And it wasn't just hot. It was sticky and humid, too.

So by the time our makeshift camp was out of sight, we were already sweating buckets.

If my tail had been out, it would've been drooping. I was seriously weighing the pro's and con's of jumping in the river.

There was an irritated "God dammit!" in front of me, and I looked up to see a very shirtless Ichigo in front of me.

"What?" I asked.

"It's so hot!"

"Tell me something we don't know," all of us muttered.

I sighed, slipping back into my thoughts. Which was hard when every part of me wanted to push away the shirtless man in front of me.

I don't like shirtless people.

Nor do I like pantsless people.

Nor do I like naked people.

My general reaction is to get the hell away from them.

Which is hard when their standing right in front of you.

I mean, don't get me wrong, Ichigo had a, erm...good body.

It's just a bit awkward being around someone who's half-naked.

... Unless it happens to be my brother. I mean, come on, when's the guy _not _at least partly naked.

That was when my foot decided to be retarded and trip. Sending me flying right into Ichigo.

And sending the both of us flying towards the river yet again.

He managed to stop himself.

I, on the other hand, went flying in, getting soaked by the warm water.

I cursed loudly and clung to the wall, managing to heave myself out of the water.

I glared at Ganju.

"Say one word, and I'll lasso you with your own intestines!"

He decided to keep his mouth shut.

I hissed angrily.

Great. Now I was hot _and_ soaked.

I began to tug my shirt off. No reason in trying to be modest any more.

"Wait! What are you-"

All three of the blushed as I yanked my shirt off, tossing it over my shoulder.

Great, even my bandages were wet.

I wrang out my hair and looked up at the blushing ginger.

"Problem?"

"Ehhhh...ummmm...uhhh...er..."

"Well, now we know you're a girl," Ganju said.

I punched him in the face.

* * *

All three of them blushed as Hayato threw her shirt over her shoulder.

Hanataro looked away with a yelp while Ichigo and Ganju just stared.

Ichigo because he was unable to look away, and Ganju because he was a pervert.

Smooth pale skin stretched over her well-muscled stomach and lead to bandages wrapped tightly from her ribs to the top of her chest. Her pants clung to her hips, showing off a good portion of her stomach.

And for the first time, they got a good look at her armguards.

The one on her left arm was a light coppery color with layers of scales going down it, like the skin of a fish or a lizard while the one on her right was a mix of silver and light sage, ridges going down it like ripples, going from two inches thick and gradually getting smaller.

Mismatched.

They clashed violently.

Ichigo finally willed his eyes to meet hers, ready to get slapped upside the face, only to find mild irratation.

"C'mon! Let's go; we don't have all the time in the world!"

Her smile was bright, but her eyes were dull.

He felt that connection again.

That pull.

He simply nodded, dumbfounded.

He knew that he shouldn't trust her so easily.

Or at least his mind did.

Because his body followed her like she was a well-known path.

Followed her deeper into the tunnels.

Deeper into the darkness that had forever cloaked her.

* * *

I couldn't sleep.

Whenever I tried to close my eyes, they'd just open up again.

It would be another sleepless night.

I tried to focus on anything else, everything else...how much we'd travelled (quite a lot actually), how annoying Ganju was... I couldn't do it.

My head hurt and my whole body was killing me. My lungs felt like they were filling with water. My back ached, my throat was raw. The sharp, metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

It hurt.

Dear god, it hurt.

But the memories were the worst part. Every little bit and piece of my lives were being forced into my mind, breaking down all my barriers.

Different nights had different memories.

Tonight was no different.

But it was.

Because it was about Alignak.

I had never remembered before...

The pain was never caused by that lifetime.

That damn boy...

I sighed. It wasn't Ichigo's fault.

It was mine for following him.

And here I was, far from where we had camped for the night, deciding on whether to leave or not. To get away from the pain.

Fate is a fickle thing. It chooses at random, but, at the same time, it chooses with a reason. Fate is not something to be messed with.

I was the exception, the opposite of fate.

I couldn't be accepted.

It was impossible.

All the others, every other creature living and dead, could sense it. They did their best to stay away from me. Even my own brother had to get away from me sometimes.

I had never let my guard down with anyone, not even Alignak, though he did come the closest. No, I had _never_ let my guard down.

And Kurosaki Ichigo wasn't going to be the exception.

I was different than him.

I closed my eyes, only to have them fly open yet again when something warm brushed up against me.

"You're still up, eh?"

I stiffened.

"Couldn't sleep?" I finally managed, expertly blocking out thew surprise in my eyes.

"Nah. Couldn't get my eyes to stay shut. Nervous, I guess. Why're you up so late? And so far away?" Ichigo asked.

I gave a strained laugh. "I could ask you the same thing."

He leaned closer to me, brown eyes burning intensely.

"Yeah, but I asked first didn't I?"

I looked at him, wanting so badly to trust those brown eyes.

"I-"

I looked at the ground, fists clenching.

"I don't like to talk about it."

His eyes softened.

"Please," he murmured. "You can tell me. I promise I won't laugh at you."

I looked at him again.

He looked so much like...

"I remember my life," I said before I could stop myself.

A confused look crossed his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I- I can remember my human life."

"Is that bad?"

"...Yes."

He was silent for a few minutes.

"Would you tell me about it?" he whispered quietly.

I stiffened.

"I would like to...know more about you."

I looked at him uncertainly, but he just sat there and waited for me to begin.

"I...I lived with an Inuit tribe. There was this guy..."

I hugged my knees around my chest.

"H-he...he was very kind to me...and he... He was my best friend. We went everywhere together... But...um, then...well, then I died. I loved him lots. I really did," I whispered, my voice small. "I still look for him, you know. He was the nicest person I've ever met...and...and he'd tell me jokes..."

_'Kay so two penguins are in a tub in shallow water and one of 'em says 'Can ya pass the salt?' and the other says 'What'dya think I am, a radio?!' Isn't that funny, Hayato?_

"...and stories..."

_It's just a storm, silly. There's no reason to be afraid. It's just the World Spirit stirring. Do you know the story of Creation, Hayato?_

"...and he was always there for me..."

_Hey, Hayato! Would you like to be my vassal?!_

_Get off of my Hayato._

_C'mon Hayato!_

_Silly kitty. Silly little Hayato._

_Hayato!_

_No...God dammit! Don't you go dying on me, Hayato!_

_Hayato..._

_Hayato...!_

**_Hayato!_**

_Beautiful Hayato._

_Kind Hayato._

_My Hayato._

_Hayato._

I felt the tears threatening to spill over.

"What was his name?" he asked gently.

I smiled bitterly.

"He was never there. Just a silhouette. No...he was never there at all."

* * *

Morning.

Light.

I fucking hated it.

It was too bright to be someone's funeral.

That's where we were headed after all.

Ganju stretched.

"Ahhh, it feels good to be out of that stinking hole."

"Keep your guard up," I warned.

"Tch. Yeah, yeah," Ganju said dismissively.

I glanced around us warily.

It was too quiet.

Something was going to happen.

That's when the crushing reiatsu hit us.

Hanataro cried out as his body buckled underneath him.

"Hanataro-chan!" I cried, running towards the small boy.

"H-Hayato-sama..." he gasped desperately.

"This reiatsu...is...incredible!" Ganju panted.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Dammit... This is..."

Ichigo growled as he was pressed down.

"Sh-shit...!"

He turned suddenly, eyes blazing with...

Fear?

Determination?

No it was a bit of both, mixed with pure willpower.

"We've gotta run!" he shouted. "I don't know what the hell is going on, but whoever's reiatsu this is..."

He trailed off, trusting us to understand.

"We've got to move!"

"Right!" Ganju choked through gritted teeth.

"I'll...try!" Hanataro gasped.

I grabbed on to the boy and practically dragged him along.

We had only made it a few feet when the tinkling of a bell reached my ears.

_Dammit! Just a little farther...!_

I strained to hear anything else, any other sign that he might've been close.

A low, gravelly voice reached my ears.

I felt an invisible blade press against my throat.

Hanataro fell to the ground.

"I...can't...move...I can't...run anymore... I've got no strength left..."

I reached down to pick him up but was blocked by Ganju.

"I'll get him. You sure can be troublesome, ya know that kid?"

With that he hoisted the small boy up and set him on his feet.

We kept running, running, running.

But then...Ichigo stopped.

And cried out as the invisible blade went through his chest.

He clutched at his robes, eyes wide.

The gravelly voice reached me again:

"I've found you."

Ichigo spun around.

The huge man grinned insanely.

For such a huge guy, he was good at sneaking up on people.

"Who...?"

"Surely Ikkaku must have told you!" the man laughed. "And little Haya-chan too."

His brown eyes widened even more, processing his words.

"You're..."

"I'm the Eleventh Division Captain... Zaraki Kenpachi! And I'm here...to fight you to the death!"

Ichigo just stared at the ground, his mind racing.

"What are you deaf? I just challenged you to a fight to the death."

No answer.

Zaraki grinned insanely.

"I assume since you won't answer me, it's alright if I make the first move."

"I-I-Ichigo...san..." Hanataro whimpered.

Both of us turned towards him, to find both Ganju and the kid laying on the ground.

"B-baka!" Ganju growled. "Focus on the matter at hand. We just got the wind knocked out of us is all..."

A small pink-haired girl popped up from Kenpachi's shoulder.

"Woaaaaahhh! Look at all that drool!"

She leaped onto Ichigo's shoulder.

"You musta scared that guy really bad to make him do that, ne Ken-chan?"

I blinked.

That was probably the most adorable thing I'd ever seen.

To think that Kenpachi would have a kid like that hanging around...

I tensed again. No matter how weak she looked, if Kenpachi had her around, she _was_ strong. I could tell that much for sure.

Ichigo threw her off, and she landed back near the taicho.

"Uh-oh...I think I made him mad."

"Tch. What did you think was gonna happen? That was just stupid."

Ichigo looked back and forth between them.

"And stupid is what stupid does, right?!" she retorted.

"You said it, not me."

"Hey, twerp with the pink hair," Ichigo called.

"Huh?"

"Who are you? Or maybe I should say, _what_ are you?"

She giggled.

"My name's Yachiru Kusajishi. I'm also the Eleventh Division fukutaicho! Thanks for asking mister! It's very nice to meet you!"

The candy girl grinned sweetly.

_Fukutaicho, huh... That explains why she isn't affected by his reiatsu._

I looked at Ichigo, who looked like he could use a year's worth of sleep by the expression on his face.

"Shiba-san," I called, not once looking behind me. Always keeping my eyes trained on Kenpachi.

I heard him stand up straight.

"Get Hanataro out of here. Try to get to Rukia."

"What about-"

"Ichigo and I will stay here and fight."

Ichigo started to interrupt me.

I silenced him with a glance.

"But-" he began to protest.

"Now!" I snapped.

Ganju nodded and picked up the smaller boy.

"And Shiba-san..."

He turned around.

"That's the last time I'm saying your name, Bathboy."

He smiled grimly and took off, leaving Ichigo and I there to face the Beast.

"Oh wow," Yachiru murmured, looking at Ganju's retreating figure. "Now you guys are all alone."

I said nothing, just watched the Captain in front of me.

"Sorry," Ichigo said, "But I can't let you go after them."

"You just don't get it do you? I've been waiting for a while for you to get here. I don't care about your friends or your quest to save Kuchiki's sister."

The orange-haired shinigami growled lowly, grabbing his zanpaku-to.

"Tch. You say that you despise us Captains. And to think that you don't even know the company you're keepin'. Ain't that right, Kenpachi?"

I stiffened at his words. The man laughed.

Ichigo paused. "What do you mean?"

"You go against the Captains yet you're ignorant to the fact that one is standing right next to you!"

I saw the surprise and horror on Ichigo's face.

"This girl next to you...the one you claim to know...is Hayato Niigata, former Eleventh Division Taicho, Kenpachi, Kidsohu Soshi, and current Protector."

Have you ever seen someone get shot?

Their body immediately tenses as the shot sounds and goes stick-straight as the bullet pierces their skin. Their face is a mixture of shock and horror.

Not pain though.

The pain comes later.

That was how Ichigo looked.

Disbelieving brown eyes turned towards me, asking if that was true.

I forced myself to look away.

My reiatsu raised as I took off the limitations I had put on it.

I looked at Kenpachi.

"How impressive," I drawled boredly. "A complete sentence from the ape."

His smirk faded, replaced by a snarl.

"Would you like to say that again?"

I stepped forward only to be stopped by a zanpaku-to.

"This is my fight," Ichigo said.

Hardened eyes pierced through me.

"I don't care who you are. We can settle that later. Right now, that's not important."

I held his gaze for a moment before nodding and leaping up onto the nearest building.

The candy girl was already up there.

"Hiya, Kitty-chan!"

When I didn't respond, she frowned.

"It'll be okay, Kitty-chan. Both of 'em are strong. Berry-kun will be okay! Then Ken-chan can fight him again!"

I gave her a soft, worried smile.

And sat there, waiting for the silhouette to become a shadow.

* * *

**A/N: Silhouette=shadow. That's the irony of it. Oh deep philosophicalness, how I love you.**

**Went a bit too fast for my liking but...**

**Loved it? Hated it? Cheese? **

**~ KAi**


	8. Don't Dare

**A/N: I just saw a scorpion and it scared the living crap out of me 'cause it was in my SHOE. I was like, "Okay I'm just gonna put mah shoe on" and it crawled out. And then I was like "OH MY GOD JESUS CHRIST WTF IS THAT IT'S GONNA KILL MEEEEEEEE!" But then I got over it and proceeded to smash it to the ground, yelling "For Sparta!" all the while.**

**And that, folks, was my wonderful story for today.**

**Devil of Solitude: Durrrr! Danke! XD I try, I try. Thank you for the kind review :)**

**Warnings: angst, sibling fighting, blood, feels, and a touch of sadomasochism**

* * *

_I don't dare disturb the Beast_

_In its futile attempt to live._

* * *

"Hayato..."

The name was murmured in disbelief and horror.

Green eyes snapped open, fixing on the horrified face of the Fourth seat.

Emerald met neon.

"So you've finally arrived... Hayate."

* * *

"Ehhhhhh?" Yachiru drawled, looking between my brother and I. "You know Cray-cray-chan?"

I almost choked.

"What-what now?"

The pink-haired girl blinked innocently. "Cray-cray-chan."

I couldn't help it. I cracked up.

"Cray-cray-chan! Oh, that's brilliant! Where'd you get that?"

The candy girl cocked her head. "Well, weird sounds are always coming out of his room and when I asked Ken-chan what he was doing, he wouldn't answer me. So I asked Gramps and he told me that he was just going crazy with all the work he had to do for Bee-chan. Gramps said that he was crayyyyyyyyy-craayyyyyyy."

That just made me laugh harder.

I took one look at the annoyed expression on my brother's face...

And started laughing again.

"Well then, Cray-cray-chan," I said after I'd recovered, "There any reason you're here?"

His expression changed from annoyed to enraged in a second.

"_Any reason I'm here?!_" he roared. "Are you fucking kidding me, Hayato?! I get up to hear that Renji now resembles a dead rat that's been eaten and spat out and that you, _you_ of all people, have gone rogue and you're wondering why I'm _here?!_"

I merely shrugged. "It isn't really a big deal."

His emerald eyes blazed. "Oh, because you go around doing this shit all the fucking time?!"

I sent him a sharp glare. He knew that was a low blow.

"Hayate, why are you so fucking surprised?"

"What the hell do you mea-"

"_No._"

His eyes widened.

"No, Hayate. You listen to _me_ this time. Why do you think I left this place in the first place? Because it was givin' me a warm fuzzy feeling? It was obvious that this was the path I was going to take eventually, even to me!"

"Hayato..." he whispered desperately.

"No Hayate! You need to listen! I've been tossed around and treated like shit so much, but this..._this_ takes the cake! The Soul Society did me wrong...and I'm going to do everything I can to make it right. I'll kill anyone who stands in my path. Even if it's you. When I went missing, no one looked for me. No one bothered."

"No," he whispered. "You're wrong!"

"Tell me, Hayate, what does that say to you?" I growled.

"You're wrong!" he shouted. "I _did_ care! I _did!_"

"I never said that you didn't."

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"If you cared so much...then why didn't you come looking for me, Hayate? Why...?" My voice broke. Sadness was replaced by a dull, resentment.

"I _will_ kill you."

"Hayato-"

"_NO!_ Don't you dare give me any of that we'll-work-this-out bullshit! This...this'll never work out! Don't you see yet, Hayate?! I have a black, black heart!"

His despair was replaced by fury.

"Yeah," he replied slowly. "I see now. And that's why...I have to exterminate you."

I laughed bitterly. "Really? You seem so confident! Don't forget that I outranked you twice."

"Tch, says the one without a weapon."

I stood. "Well then...perhaps I should show you who's stronger."

And with that, I grabbed him by the throat and took off, leaving a confused Yachiru behind.

* * *

The building exploded as I slammed him into it.

I grinned.

"Dammit...!" my brother breathed.

A fist grazed my cheek.

Hayate grinned, bloodlust filling his eyes.

"Sorry, sis... But I've gotten a bit stronger since you last fought me."

I felt the blade swinging towards the back of my neck.

I caught the blade with my bare hand and shot him a Cheshire Cat grin.

"In case you haven't noticed," I whispered in his ear, "I have too."

My fist sank into his stomach.

He rolled expertly, getting back on his feet.

I felt his reiatsu skyrocket.

_Behind you._

A voice next to my ear hissed:

"Writhe and burst _Kaika no_ _Hana!_**(1)**"

Green reiatsu washed over me.

"Shit!" I muttered.

A hand grabbed my throat. Pain shot up my side.

Hayate leaped back as I lashed out.

I analyzed his shikai.

The once normal zanpaku-to was now the shape of a fleur-de-lis, a beautiful blooming flower. I tried to gauge the power behind it.

That's when the pain began.

My cells were burning. My muscles locked up. I couldn't move.

It felt like a network of thin needles was piercing through me, making my whole body lock up.

If I moved, I would shatter.

Something was crawling inside my skull.

Panic settled in my core.

There was a huge beast, breaking through my barriers, crawling around inside of my head, leaking putrid black acid.

I couldn't even scream as a memory was forced into my mind.

I realized what he was doing.

He was rewriting my entire life.

_You stupid girl. It looks like I'll have to save you again._

An invisible hand swiped through the needles, shattering them like glass.

I panted.

_Thank you... Backbiter._

There was no response.

The monster was still crawling around inside of me, but I accepted it, hacking it to pieces.

Forcing my memories on it.

I could feel it's confusion as a memory pierced through it.

And then, its realization and horror.

I sent shattered fragments into it's very being, relishing in the pain.

Though I wasn't sure if I was smiling because of the beast's pain or my pain.

It didn't matter anyway.

Hayate screamed in agony, gripping the sides of his head. He sank to his knees.

"You shouldn't have underestimated me," I said. "Over the past few centuries, I've gotten good at fending off attacks on my mind. You've gotten stronger... But you should never have started this battle. Playing poker with a cat is a risky game."

Emerald eyes glared at me, daring me to do it.

And I would have. If I hadn't remembered the stupid Strawberry. And how disappointed he would look if I did it.

The Strawberry...when did I start thinking of him like that?

And just like that, I realized what I had been about to do. I felt my hatred for myself go up a few notches.

I disgusted myself.

I did the only thing I could: I turned and walked away.

Not even I dared to disturb fate like that.

* * *

A spot of blood was all that was left of the battle.

_A day_, I told myself. _A day to go search for him._

So I did that.

Kenpachi wasn't hard to find after the battle.

But Ichigo was a different matter entirely.

It was like someone was trying to seal his reiatsu...

Whoever was helping him was smart. Cunning and strong.

Bold but cautious.

Where would they have put him?

The more I thought about it, the more logical my decision became.

I sighed. Nothing could be easy, could it?

I prepared myself for a long day.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! I finally got it out! Not much to say really...**

**(1)- Name roughly meaning "Blooming Flower"**

**Loved it? Hated it? Po-ta-to pan-cakes?**

**~ KAi**


	9. To the Ends of the Earth

**A/N: Helloooo again! Sorry for the long wait; I've been working on an original lately, hoping to get it published soon. Add that to the fact that I've been, and still am, sick as a dog...**

**Thank you all for all the reviews! Sorry if I haven't personally responded yet! I'll get on that soon! :)**

**Xxdreamergirl95xX: Squee! Many thanks!**

**Kei4Luv79: Danke! XD I was thinking of those two when I was writing it actually... :)**

**Kryptic Paradox: Escalated indeed. And NEVER go full retard *shivers*.**

**DevilofSolitude: Not sure if I replied already but oh well. Thank you for the review my friend, it's good to know that people are liking it so far!**

**Warnings: Naked Yoruichi, perverted comments, slight verbal abuse from Ichigo, foul language**

* * *

_I search to the ends of the Earth_

_To find a new beginning in you._

* * *

My fingers hurt, I was pretty sure my knees were reduced to bloody masses of flesh, and I was in an overall pissed off mood.

I could've just shunpoed up there but _noooooo_ I just _had_ to be a wanted criminal. Any traces of my reiatsu would send all of Gotei Thirteen flocking to me like flies to honey.

A small rock clattered down the cliff face and hit me square in the face.

That was the last straw.

"_For...mother...fucking...SPARTA!_"

I heaved myself up the slope once more. And fell straight down when the ledge underneath me crumbled.

"Shitty, ass sucking, dick licking, mother fucking son of a-"

The stream of curses continued out of my mouth for the next few minutes.

I sighed and glared at the cliff.

"I will vanquish thee for thy sins upon me!" I shouted menacingly to the rocks. "I will...I will...ah fuck it."

I jumped up once more, this time holding onto the rocks with everything I had.

I swung up once.

Twice.

One more, only one more.

My muscles strained with the effort; I gritted my teeth.

And I was there.

My body heaved as I pulled myself up into the cave.

I swayed unsteadily. I felt like I was going to faint.

Which is when I saw the woman in front of me. Well, not quite woman as much as half-cat-thing-when-I-got-there-but-definitely-a-c at-before-but-a-woman-now-creature-thingy.

Yep, I was definitely going to faint.

Her skin was a smooth shade of what might have been somewhere between chocolate and caramel complete with a sculpted body and perfect figure. Long violet hair cascaded down a slightly arched back, beautiful and layered to perfection... Long...longer than it had been before.

"Yoru...ichi-chan...?" I whispered breathlessly.

The woman stiffened before turning around.

Gold eyes bore into me, framed by long black lashes in a narrow catlike face. For the first time since I had known her, the woman looked surprised.

She spun around fully.

"Haya-chan...? Is it...is it you, Haya-chan?"

I trembled. "Yeah. It's me."

Yoruichi took one step towards me. Then another. And another until she was running towards me.

She hugged me tightly, smooshing me against her breasts.

"Haya-chan! It's so good to see you!"

_Oh sweet Jesus._

"Can't...breathe!"

She let go quickly, composing herself once more.

"Sorry about that," she said sheepishly.

"God," I muttered. "Have your boobs gotten bigger since I last saw you or something?"

She snorted. "No, yours have just gotten smaller is all."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, like I'd want two giant hacky sacks on my chest all the time. I don't really want back problems when I'm older."

I met her eyes.

"It really is good to see you again, Yorui."

She smiled grimly.

"Under the circumstances, I'd say it's pretty damn good to see you too, Haya."

There was a choking sound in the corner.

We both spun around to see a very red-faced Ichigo.

I looked away immediately, partly from guilt and partly from...Well let's just say that suddenly, I felt very insignificant next to her.

I vaguely wondered if _I_ could make Ichigo blush like that...

_No. No! Bad Hayato! Bad girl! Down!_

I sighed to myself.

Nope. There was no way. I hardly knew the kid, even if he _did_ look like Alignak.

Nope, I guess I was just destined to be irritable old Hayato forever. Irritable, old, alone Hayato.

"Eh? Oh Ichigo, this is-"

"Hayato Niigata, strongest woman in the universe, former Kidoshu Soshi, Division Eleven Taicho, and current Protector," he spat bitterly. "Yeah, I know."

I felt my face fall at his biting words.

Sadly, Yoruichi noticed. And stalked up to Ichigo, shoving into his face. Needless to say, I felt sorry for the boy since Yorui's more...erm _feminine _parts were right in his face.

His face turned so red I thought it was purple, and he strained to keep his eyes at her face. Not that they would wander or anything; it was just a matter of his manly pride. After all, no man would be beaten by a mere _woman_.

"Hey. Now why're you talking about Haya like that? What gives you the _right_ to do that?"

Amazingly, considering the predicament he was in, he managed to glare at the violet-haired beauty.

"And just why should I tell you that?"

"Because I saved your life."

"Tch," was his only response.

Yoruichi scowled down at the boy and, before I could tell her to please stop she's embarrassing me, had pushed him down and was straddling his lap.

He blushed even deeper.

"Wha- G-g-get offa me!"

"Not until you apologize."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The woman smirked before getting off of him.

"Good boy. Now I believe you asked how I got here with you? Well, you see..."

She sat down in front of him with her legs wide open and pulled an instrument that looked a bit like a wooden rod with an owl skull and two old bat wings glued to the side out of thin air.

"Now this thing right here is-"

"CAN YOU PLEASE PUT SOME GOD DAMN CLOTHES ON?!"

"Eh?" Yoruichi asked, startled. "Oh. Woops."

Five minutes later she was _finally _putting her shirt on.

"Heh. Sorry. It's hard to remember to where clothes after all this time of not wearing them."

She paused. I stiffened, suddenly afraid to move from where I was standing. I knew that look on her face. That look of sudden knowledge and mischief written on her face.

There was a short silence.

A devilish grin appeared on her face.

She sidled closer to him, fingering the bottom of her shirt deviously.

"You've never seen a woman's body before, ne Ichi-kun?" she purred slyly.

He huffed and looked the other way.

"Even if I haven't...it's none of your business."

I groaned from where I was standing. Oh, he was digging himself into this one.

She laughed sweetly.

"Well, in that case... Do you wanna see 'em again?"

He looked at her sharply.

"_What?!_"

She laughed again.

"Oh come on! Loosen up! If you really wanna see my beautiful body again, I guess I'll sneak you a _little_ peek..."

Before he could even blink, she had lifted her shirt up again.

He yelped and scrambled backwards in an attempt to get away from her.

"N-n-n-no! S-stop!"

"Don't move so fast. You'll open up your wounds."

As if on cue, blood spurted from his chest.

"N-no! Sto-ah! D-don't come any- ow!- closer! Ow! Noo! Sto-_ahhhh_-p...!"

When she had finished dressing his wounds again, she turned away and put her pants on.

"Your face was adorable, Ichigo. The reactions get funnier and funnier as time goes by."

Ichigo blushed.

I sighed from where I was standing and crossed my arms over my chest.

"C'mon Yorui. Give the guy a break."

She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Aw, you're just jealous that your body isn't as beautiful as mine."

I "tched" absently.

Suddenly she was in front of me, putting my hands on her chest.

"C'mon Haya," she said jovially. "Give 'em a little squeeze~!"

I tried to quell my rising anger.

"Yoruichi Shihoin, get my hands off of your chest. Now."

She sighed and walked away. "You're no fun Haya-chan."

She stopped, eyeing me.

"But," she said thoughtfully. "It does look as if you've grown some since I last saw you..."

I backed away, slowly edging towards the mouth of the cave.

Oh no...she wouldn't dare...

She did dare.

Suddenly, Yoruichi Shihoin, one of my closest friends, composed elegant beauty, was behind me.

Groping my chest.

Yeah, some composed elegant beauty she is.

"GET OFF OF ME!"

"Awwwww, but 'Yato-chan you're so cute~!"

Did she just call me 'Yato-chan? I think she just called me 'Yato-chan. Yep, she called me 'Yato-chan.

"DON"T CALL ME 'YATO-CHAN, YOU PERVERTED CAT-BITCH!"

Half an hour and five attempts to take my shirt off later, we were all finally sitting down.

"Crazy fucking cat-bitch son of a-"

"What was that?" Yoruichi asked.

"I said '_You. Crazy. Fucking. Cat. Bitch!_'"

"Awwwwww Haya-chaaaaaaaaaan~! You're so mean to mee~!"

"Oh god, shoot me now... When's this all over? You...you silly...you...god I hate you..."

"What?"

"Hmm?! Nothing, nothing! Nothing at all!... Just...admiring the wonderful view..."

Apparantly when I said I was just "admiring the wonderful view", she thought I meant her _magnificent_ breasts of magnificent-ness that originated from the land of Magnifica. And have I mentioned that they're magnificent? No, I don't think you _understand_ just how fucking _magnificent_ they are. Really. They're _magnificent!_ They're like, I-would crash-my-Bugatti-into-the-Eiffel-tower-and-make-a- thousand-planets-explode-VIOLENTLY-to-tap-those magnificent.

Fuck her.

Because she then proceeded to grab me and shove my face in between the two melons hanging from her chest crying, "I knew you wanted it, Haya-chan!"

I struggled in vain, waving my arms and making sounds akin to that of a dying bird.

"Gahp! Stahp! Gmph!"

Yoruichi looked down at my red-from-lack-of-oxygen face and let go.

"Heh...woops...sorry..."

"Sorry..._Sorry?!_ Oh god...No...just..."

My head slumped in defeat. "Oh god, Yoruichi. Someone broke you."

Her face fell dramatically.

"You're so mean Haya-chan..." she murmured.

I sighed.

It was going to be a_ long_ day.

* * *

"So," Yoruichi said when she finally stopped acting so...odd. "This thing," she took out what I had now fondly named the Stick-of-Magicalness-that-a-poor-bird-had-to-die-t o-make, "Is a family heirloom of mine. You were wondering how I carried you here- this is how. It allows you to fly."

At the sound of that, Ichigo got a strange glint in his eye.

I shifted slightly. Oh no. He wouldn't.

He would.

He snatched the thing out of her hands quicker than I could speak, standing at the edge of the cave as the thing wrapped around his arm.

"Sorry, Yoruichi-san!" he called as he took off. "But I've gotta do this!"

"Wait, you fool!" she shouted.

It was too late. He was already out of sight.

"The damn kid's gonna get himself killed," she hissed. "And I'm tempted to let him, just to teach him a lesson."

I sighed, grinning slightly. "It was kinda inevitable. But he's got _some_ common sense. It's not like he grabbed it like, 'Hurdeehurrr I'm gonna see if I can fly!'"

She breathed out solemnly. "I guess you're right. C'mon we better stop him. Common sense or not, he's still human."

I snorted. "And what's that supposed to mean? That he can still get hurt, unlike the rest of us?" I said sarcastically. "Or that, since he's not a wise shinigami, he charges into battle without thinking, like a child?"

She gave me a look like, 'Really?'

I shrugged. "Good point."

She merely chuckled before sighing. "You ready? Let's go."

"Straight to the point then," I sighed. "Shame, I wanted to sit down and chat and have a nice good cuppa."

She looked at me out of the corner of her eye.

I gave her a wry grin.

"Good that. Let's go kick some ass, Shihoin."

* * *

**A/N: Whoever can tell me where the phrase "Good that" is from gets a cybernetic cookie! Anyway, I'm leaving it off there sadly.**

**Loved it, hated it? Why the hell are you asking me this I don't really give a shit?**

**~ KAi**


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